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KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
OCTOBER 15, 2021
LIVE FROM ONTARIO, CALIF.
AIRED LIVE ON FS1 CABLE NETWORK
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
[HOUR ONE]
-The Smackdown opening aired. It was labelled as “Super-sized” in the graphics. Smackdown runs an extra 30 minutes tonight, with the last 30 minutes being commercial-free.
(Keller’s Analysis: WWE is aware that super-sized has a fast-food connotation that translates to “more than is healthy or ideal for your healthy,” right?)
-Michael Cole and Pat McAfee introduced the show. They hyped the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar contract signing for Crown Jewel, plus the main event of Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks. Cole said it’s the first one-on-one match in more than three years between Sasha and Becky. McAfee then plugged the Smackdown Tag Team Title match with The Usos vs. The Street Profits.
-Edge made his ring entrance. Cole noted it’s a late-arriving crowd but assured viewers they are sold out. A video package aired on Seth Rollins invading Edge’s house and then last week’s segment when Edge challenged Seth to a Hell in a Cell match. Back live, Edge sat mid-ring and talked about how Seth entered his home where he breaks bread with his family and tucks his little girls into bed every night “and you pissed all over it.” He said he should have seen it coming, because it’s right out of his playbook. He brought up how years ago he slapped John Cena’s dad. He said he underestimated Seth, and that’s not like him to underestimate someone. He said they are so alike, when they see each other’s mistakes, they’re able to capitalize on them.
Edge said Seth is the only person in the WWE ring who comes close to matching his intensity and his passion “and some might say my obsession with this.” He said he was mistaken to call him Edge-lite. He said he is his own man, actually. They cut periodically to Seth reacting to what Edge was saying backstage. Edge said because of all this, he has to end it. He said he could go to Seth’s house “and have a chance encounter with Becks.” He said they have a history. He said instead, he is going to leave him a husk of the man everyone sees now. He said Seth said he felt sorry for him, but that is a mistake because you should never feel sorry for a devil. He said he won’t hesitate before putting him under his boot. He said he thought twice before, but he won’t make that mistake again. He said their story ends at Hell in a Cell.
He said he has a blue print for Seth’s future. “I will scar your soul,” he said. “And that is a scar you never, ever heel from.” He got red-faced and grinded his teeth and jaw.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was good and intense and met the gravity of the situation with proper intensity. That said, I am ready for this epic Seth feud to be over so Edge can move on to projecting something different than this level of “for Emmy consideration” intensity in his promos. I want to see him show a different emotion other than pent up rage being released with frothing red-faced intensity.)
-They went to Cole and McAfee who turned to discussing the Rey Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn first round King of the Ring match last week where Dominik was “trying to do the right thing” by putting the turnbuckle pad back on the corner which led to his dad Rey losing. They also showed Finn Balor beating Cesaro in the other King of the Ring match last week.
-Finn Balor made his ring entrance for his semi-final match. An inset soundbite aired with Balor saying Sami only respects the sound of his own voice. He said winning KOTR will be an achievement of a lifetime, but he will achieve something even greater tonight – shutting up Sami once and for all. [c]
(1) SAMI ZAYN vs. FINN BALOR – King of the Ring Semi-Final
As Sami came out, they aired a soundbite with him where he talked excitedly about overcoming all of the obstacles and conspiracies thrown in front of him to become King Sami. Cole talked about the history of King of the Ring. McAfee asked Cole if he was never a King. Cole said, “No, but I was knighted.” He said that’s a story for another time. Balor landed a flip dive onto Sami at ringside as they cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, Sami was in control. Balor caught Sami leaping off the top rope with a dropkick for a near fall. Sami came back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall seconds later. Sami set up a charging Helluva Kick, but Balor moved and then kicked Sami. He quickly climbed to the top rope, but Sami knocked him off balance. Sami tried to pin Balor with his leg on the middle rope for added leverage. The ref saw it and stopped the count. “Refs in all other sports get everything wrong all the time,” McAfee said. “Not here.” Balor came back with a sling blade and then went for the Coup de Grace. Sami moved and scored a near fall. Balor avoided an exploder suplex and double-stomped his chest. He followed up with a running missile dropkick followed by a successful Coup de Grace for the win.
WINNER: Balor in 12:00 to advance to the King of the Ring finals.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good WWE TV match. This is as good as you’d anticipate Balor and Sami being when given 12 minutes to tell a good story and hit signature spots in a way that build toward the finish.) [c]
-Cole and McAfee talked about the new Smackdown roster taking effect next week. McAfee said the Smackdown roster got even better. He leaped out of his chair when Cole brought up Roman Reigns is staying on Smackdown. “Thank god for that!” he exclaimed.
-A lengthy video package aired on the Roman Reigns-Paul Heyman-Brock Lesnar saga built around the signs of distrust Reigns has in Heyman’s loyalty.
-Naomi made her ring entrance. A soundbite aired where she said Sonya Deville took her kindness and patience as a weakness. She said that was a mistake and then oddly let out a strange excited shriek as she put on her sunglasses and said, “It’s glow time.” They showed Sonya Deville backstage. Cole said she’d have her first match in 14 months next. [c]
-Cole said Naomi “is downright giddy.” Sonya then walked out in her suit. She said Sonya left last week before she was done talking. She said Naomi will have a match, but it’ll be against both her and Shayna Baszler. Baszler then made her ring entrance.
(2) NAOMI vs. SHAYNA BASZLER & SONYA DEVILLE
Sonya slapped Naomi at the bell, then bailed out of the ring. Naomi kicked Baszler in the head, then chased Deville at ringside. Back in the ring, she kicked Baszler, but Deville caught Naomi with a running knee. Baszler and Deville then double-teamed Naomi. Naomi fought back and landed a springboard kick to Baszler. Sonya yanked on her boot as she began to climb the ropes. Baszler applied a Kirafuda Clutch from behind. Naomi faded. Sonya stood on her chest and got a three count. Cole said that was pathetic.
WINNERS: Deville & Baszler in 4:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: This was a fine payoff for the mysterious Sonya-Naomi storyline. This puts Baszler in the role of basically a hired “hitman” for Sonya. There were no hints of her being a babyface.)
-A video feature aired on Hit Row.
-Seth made his ring entrance. [c]
-Cole hyped Sasha vs. Becky. A soundbite then aired with Sasha who said they’re just six days from Crown Jewel where she’ll make history again and regain her title. She said she’s been making history since Day One. She said it Becky Lynch’s turn to have a Big Time Beatdown. She said she’s ready to conquer and destroy all.
(Keller’s Analysis: She was very heelish there, totally full of herself. The soundbites by wrestlers to talk about their match is good in theory, but the scripted and corny dialogue makes everything feel even more scripted and trite than usual. Having backstage interviewers ask a scripted-sounding question is flawed too, but that format with a looser bullet point execution would be a big improvement.)
[HOUR TWO]
-Seth stood mid-ring and cackled and talked about how Hell has frozen over because Edge has finally said the words that he is not Edge-lite. He was so happy. He said he out-manipulated the master of mind games. He said he is going into Crown Jewel with a mental advantage. He said he has spent more time in the Cell than Edge has and he knows what it has done to him. He said he has been calloused and scarred. “Look at me!” he yelled in a rage. He closed by saying he is the Revolutionary.
-Zelina Vega talked with Carmella backstage. Zelina said if she wins the Queen’s Crown, she wants to beat the very best to earn it. She told Carmella to not wear the mask and they have a classy, fair match. Carmella said finally someone gets it. McAfee asked what just happened.
-Carmella made her ring entrance. [c]
(3) ZELINA VEGA vs. CARMELLA – Queen’s Crown Semi-Finals
As Vega walked out, Cole said Vega has vowed to make all the “Twitter trolls” kiss her royal ring. Carmella kicked Zelina in the face a couple minutes in. Zelina shot her a look. Carmella apologetically said she did it out of habit. Zelina leaped at her with a Thesz Press and punched away at her face. Carmella rolled to the floor and asked for a time out. Liv Morgan had Carmella’s mask. When Carmella returned to the ring, Zelina surprised her with a small package for the win. Zelina put on the Queen’s Crown on the stage afterward.
WINNER: Zelina Vega in 3:00 to advance to the Queen’s Crown Finals at Crown Jewel.
-Cole threw to a video feature on Sheamus becoming part of the Smackdown roster next week.
-Happy Corbin made his ring entrance. [c]
-Happy Talk: Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss sat in the ring where Moss told a joke about a hen not laying eggs and being diagnosed with an “egg-istential crisis” (instead of “existential crisis”). McAfee said it was a lot of steps to get to that punchline. Moss asked what you call it when Kevin Owens is writhing in pain on the ground. “Just another Friday night!” he said, before breaking into hysterical laughter. As Moss began a joke about Drew McIntyre and Ricochet walking into a bar, Rick Boogs interrupted from the stage with his electric guitar. He introduced Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura and Boogs danced around the announce desk with McAfee dancing. He wished Cole a Happy Birthday. Boogs and Nakamura made their way back to the stage where The Street Profits made their formal ring entrance. [c]
-A brief vignette aired on The New Day coming to Smackdown next week.
(4) THE USOS vs. THE STREET PROFITS – Smackdown Tag Team Title match
The Usos made their ring entrance. Then formal ring introductions took place. The Usos double-teamed Montez early. Ford landed a flip dive at ringside. Cole went bonkers as the Profits celebrated. The Profits pulled a table out from under the ring. The Usos leaped through the ropes into the table, knocking the Profits down. They cut to a break with all four down. [c]
The Usos were hitting the Profits with kendo sticks after the break. The Profits made a comeback. The Usos came back with stereo superkicks a minute later. Jimmy scored a near fall on Dawkins. The Usos climbed opposite top turnbuckles. Ford yanked Jey off of the top rope and threw him into the announce desk. Ford kicked Jimmy, Dawkins slammed him, and then Ford landed a top rope frog splash. Jey yanked Ford by his boot off of Jimmy before the three count. Then he slammed Ford through a table at ringside. Dawkins got superkicked by both sides by the Usos back in the ring. The Usos then landed stereo top rope frog splashes for the win.
WINNERS: The Usos in 11:00 to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Titles.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good action between these two teams. Every move counted and the match told a nice story leading to a decisive win for the Usos.)
-Kayla Braxton interviewed Becky Lynch, who responded to Sasha’s claim of greatness. Becky said greatness is having a baby “like the God I am” and coming back and winning the title in record time. She said greatness is beating Sasha tonight and winning again at Crown Jewel. “Greatness is Big Time!” she concluded.
(Keller’s Analysis: Becky was cocky in a more likable, cool way than Sasha was earlier. Not sure what, if anything, to read into it. That wasn’t an overt attempt to turn the fans against her.)
-Becky made her ring entrance. [c]
[30 MINUTES OVERRUN]
(5) BECKY LYNCH vs. SASHA BANKS
Sasha made her ring entrance. Then Belair made her entrance, skipping while twirling her hair braid. After a few minutes of back and forth action, Sasha charged at Becky on the ring apron, but when Becky moved, she went knees-first into the ringpost. Becky went for a Disarm Her on the ropes, but then settled for a legdrop to the back of Sasha’s neck as she was lying belly-first over the middle rope. That led to a two count. Banks came back with three meteoras a minute later, including the third one off the top rope, for a near fall.
Becky took over at ringside, but when she leaped off the steps at Sasha. Sasha caught her and countered into a Bank Statement. Back in the ring she landed a quick frog splash for a two count. Becky caught Sasha in the corner and landed an exploder suplex. They were tied up in the ropes, so the ref didn’t count Becky’s cover. Becky landed a legdrop for another near fall. They fought on the floor where Becky shoved Sasha. When Becky charged, Sasha moved and Becky hit Belair by mistake with a forearm to the chest. Sasha then leaped off the announce table with a knee to Becky. Sasha threw Becky into the ring as Belair writhed in pain on the floor. Sasha went for a top rope frog splash, but Becky lifted her knees. Becky scored a two count.
The pace picked up with rapid-fire exchanges. Sasha applied a Bank Statement. Becky crawled toward the ropes. She grabbed the bottom rope. Belair charged at Becky and whipped her braid at her. Sasha gave a DISTRACTED Becky a back-stabber for the win.
WINNER: Sasha in 18:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match. I didn’t expect a clean finish here, so I wasn’t surprised we didn’t get one. This might be one of those situations where you save a “rare distraction” finish for this occasion. Seeing Belair fall prey to the misunderstanding even though she saw everything that happened and knew Becky had no intention to hit her seems beneath how Belair presents herself.)
-Adam Pearce urgently ordered ringside workers to get the chairs and table set up in the ring. McAfee wondered what was going on, and then claimed he forgot they were going commercial-free. Roman Reigns made his ring entrance with Heyman. Then Brock Lesnar made his entrance. Lesnar kicked his feet up onto the table and smiled. He seemed to not have a care in the world. Heyman, at the request of Reigns, reviewed the contract. He assured Reigns the contract says everything he requested. He advised Reigns to sign the contract. Reigns did. Pearce presented Lesnar with the contract. He didn’t even look at it or read it; just scribbled his name on it recklessly. Reigns said, “You must be some kind of a dumbass. A big dumb farmer, you signed it without reading it. What’s wrong with you, man?”
Lesnar said he already read it this morning “with my advocate, Paul Heyman.” He stood and left. “Oh, my!” said Cole. Heyman gulped and tried to read Reigns’s reactiong. Reigns looked shaken. Cole wondered where Heyman’s loyalties lie. Lesnar laughed as he walked toward the back.
(Keller’s Analysis: They are playing this so pitch perfect, as it’s completely possible Lesnar is just f’ing with Heyman and trying to create dissension and distrust, but it’s equally possible Lesnar is speaking the truth and Heyman is denying it all along “in so many words” to throw Reigns off mentally going into the match with Lesnar.)
-Cole and McAfee gave a final plug for the Crown Jewel special event on Peacock.
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