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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
SEPTEMBER 13, 2024
SEATTLE, WASH. AT CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier this week that 12,804 tickets had been distributed so far; arena set up for 13,852. Subscribe to WrestleTix on Patreon to get up to date figures and more attendance data.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair to review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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[HOUR ONE]
-The new Smackdown opening aired with a new theme song.
-Michael Cole introduced the show as the camera panned the large crowd.
-Paul “Triple H” Levesque was formally introduced and he made his entrance. Cole touted the Levesque Era of WWE. He talked about his interactions with The Rock 25 years ago on that show. He touted the sellout “standing room only” crowd. He said they’re starting the show with the cage match for the Undisputed WWE Title. Pyro blasted on the stage as the new logo appeared on the video screens. The cage then began to lower.
-They went to Cole and Corey Graves at ringside. Cole noted that he sat ringside for the first-episode of Smackdown.
(1) CODY RHODES vs. SOLO SIKOA – Cage match for the Undisputed WWE Championship
As Solo made his entrance, Cole said the jury was out on Solo’s leadership, but not any longer. Cole said Solo was only in a cage once before for WarGames and this is his first one-on-one match in a cage. Graves said Solo is locked in and he has a chance to prove himself undeniable. Cole noted it would be a 30 minute commercial-free first hour, which sounded confusing. Cody then made his entrance.
Alicia Taylor did formal ring introductions. Cole said “she killed” (in the positive sense of the word!) the introductions for the match. Cole said Cody’s dad, Dusty Rhodes, “never really had the opportunity to carry in the manner he wanted to” the title Cody holds. (That was a weird way to characterize that.) The bell rang 14 minutes into the hour.
After battling back and forth for a few minutes, Solo hung Cody upside down in the corner and landed a flying headbutt to Cody’s forehead. Cody avoided a second charge by Solo and then tried to climb the cage to escape and win. Solo yanked him by the boot down. Cole said Cody vowed to acknowledge Solo as champion if Solo wins. Cody began bleeding from the forehead, which Cole acknowledged. Cole said that unlike in boxing, there is no corner man to tend to cuts. Solo punched away at Cody’s forehead.
At 6:00 Solo set up a powerbomb, but Cody grabbed onto the cage to escape. He then leaped off the side of the cage with a leaping Cody Cutter for a dramatic near fall. Solo and Cody battled at the top of the cage next. Cody began to climb down the side, but Solo grabbed him and superplexed him off the top of the cage to the mat. Cole sold it big. Graves said it was “absolutely terrifying” and said it was nearly a brainbuster.
Cody clutched Solo’s leg as fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Solo gave Cody two Spinning Solos in a row for another near fall at 10:00. Graves wondered if Cody was now “delaying the inevitable.” Fans loudly chanted, “Let’s go Cody!” Solo set up a Solo Spike, but Cody blocked it and punched away at Solo. He landed a Disaster Kick followed by a Cody Cutter for a near fall.
Solo made a comeback and landed a running hip attack in the corner followed by a Samoan Drop. Solo leaped off the top rope and landed a splash on Cody for a near fall. Cole noted that referee Charles Robinson was clearly concerned about Cody’s condition. After another hip attack, Cody pushed the cage door open right behind him. As he began to crawl out, Solo pulled him back in. Cody then landed a sudden Cross Rhodes for a near fall.
Cody climbed to the top of the cage. Cole wondered if Cody knew where he was. Cody then leaped off the top with a crossbody for a near fall. Graves said that kickout had to be “soul crushing” for the champion. The “Holy shit!” chant was muted (crushing the hopes of people who thought that was a Fox-only thing). It shifted to a “This is awesome!” chant. As Cody tried to crawl out of the cage, Solo smashed the door into his head and then set up a Solo Spike. Cody, though, blocked it again and countered with a quick Cross Rhodes for the win.
Cole said, “What gutsy performance from the champion.” Graves said Cody can move on.
WINNER: Cody in 16:00 to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
-They cut away from replays of Cody’s win to show that Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa surrounded the cage. As they climbed the cage and entered, Solo recovered and gave Cody a Samoan Spike. Cody was attacked four-on-one as the mood of the fans changed. Fatu landed a top rope moonsault. Cole yelled for someone to raise the cage. “This is an assassination!” Cole said. Fatu then climbed to the top of the cage. Roman Reigns’s music then played. Solo looked at the stage with concern and perhaps fear. Fatu climbed down from the cage. Reigns walked out in his “OTC” t-shirt. “His demise has been greatly exaggerated!” exclaimed Cole.
Reigns entered the cage through the door and then closed the cage. Cole said, “Now it’s the Bloodline who are locked inside the cage.” Reigns fended off Loa and Tama and threw them into each other and then into the side of the cage. Solo jumped Reigns from behind. Graves said Reigns practically mastered the numbers game that he was now a victim of. Reigns, though, popped up and landed a Superman Punch. When he signaled for a spear, Fatu pulled Solo through the door to safety.
Reigns smiled and waved Fatu into the ring. Fatu climbed the steps slowly and eyed Reigns. Another “Holy shit!” chant broke out as he stepped into it. (The muting of the sound is obnoxious and overdone.) Solo, though, pulled Fatu out of the cage by his boots. Fans booed. Tama and Loa attacked Reigns next with the cage door closed. Cody recovered and attacked Tama and then Reigns speared Loa. Cole said, “Talk about unlikely allies!”
Reigns slowly turned to Cody. Cody stared down Reigns. There was tension and they cut to a break. [c]
-They replayed what happened before the break.
-Cathy Kelley interviewed Smackdown G.M. Nick Aldis backstage. He said it was a chaotic start with a lot of moving parts. He said everyone involved has been sequestered. He said it’s his show and he will have law and order. Aldis said Solo has reached out and said he and Fatu have a challenge for a match that he characterized as “an offer that no one can refuse.” He said he’ll find out what it is. He emphasized that this night is long from over.
-Graves plugged the new Smackdown official theme, “Neva Play” by Megan Thee Stallion (featuring RM of BTS).
(2) PIPER NIVEN (w/Chelsea Green) vs. MICHIN
They went right to the match 44 minutes into the hour, bypassing airing the ring entrances. Michin leaped through the ropes and dove onto Niven early. When Green got in Michin’s face, Michin kicked her. Michin went looking for something under the ring and seemed frustrated and confused. She finally found a kendo stick and hit Green with it. Niven then leaped off the ring apron with a flip dive. She threw her back into the ring.
Graves said Niven’s nose was bleeding and she might have a busted nose. Niven set up a corner swing splash, but Michin stood and knocked her off balance. Michin then gave Niven a suplex off the middle rope. Michin gave Niven an Eat DaFeet for the win.
WINNER: Michin in 2:00.
-Green and Niven attacked Michin afterward. Green threw a trash can into the ring. Green gave Michin an Unprettier onto the trash can. Niven looked upset with her loss as Green consoled her.
-Graves plugged the tag match with Kevin Owens and a mystery partner up next. [c]
-They showed scenes of Vancouver. Cole said tickets for Survivor Series are selling faster than events like Summerslam and Money in the Bank and other PLEs other than WrestleMania this year.
-Some images aired of big moments on Smackdown over the years including Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Steve Austin, The Rock, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Big Show, and others.
-They showed Rob Van Dam and Vickie Guerrero in the front row. They also showed Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser at ringside.
-Theory and Waller came out first. Then KO alone to his music. Graves talked about KO having no friends. An unknown wrestler came out to generic music. Cole and Graves made fun of his body hair. Theory and Waller laughed. KO asked who they are laughing at. KO conceded, “I’ll admit he wasn’t my first choice,” he said. He said his first choice couldn’t make it due to travel issues. He had to ask his name. The wrestler told him. KO said, “He’s Ricky!” Cole said it’s George “The Animal” Steele’s son. Fans chanted, “Ricky! Ricky!” A ringside stagehand frantically told KO that his first choice arrived. KO gave Ricky a stunner. Randy Orton’s music then played. Orton came out right away, dressed to wrestle. (Did he arrive at the arena that way or did he change during KO’s ring entrance after arriving? Or was KO just playing head games? Poor Ricky, though!)
(3) AUSTIN THEORY & GREYSON WALLER vs. KEVIN OWENS & RANDY ORTON
Waller told Cole and Graves that Ricky should be required to wrestle. The bell rang 59 minutes into the hour.
[HOUR TWO]
At 2:00. Waller and Theory took over at ringside and slammed KO onto the table. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
At 7:00 Theory and Waller double-suplexed Owens. Fans chanted, “We Want Randy!” At 8:00 KO finally hot-tagged in. The fans popped. Orton powerslammed them. As he set up Waller for a draping DDT, Theory pulled Waller to safety. Orton slammed Theory onto the announce desk. Then he did the same to Waller. He played to the cheering crowd. Orton and KO then gave draping DDT’s to both Theory and Waller. They both signaled for finishers. KO gave a Stunner to Theory as Orton gave an RKO to Waller. Orton scored the three count and then patted Waller on the rib cage before celebrating with KO. Cole said Ricky had his 30 seconds of the fame before Orton saved the day. KO and Orton gave shout-outs to Ricky.
WINNERS: Orton & Owens in 11:00.
-Kelley asked Aldis for an update. He said Solo has challenged Reigns & Cody to face Solo & Jacob. He said Solo and Jacob already signed the contract without reading it. Cody said he heard what Aldis said and he said he’s done with The Bloodline. He said they’re Reigns’s problem. “Sorry, I have no intention of signing that,” he said. Fans groaned. Aldis said he’d have to go talk with Reigns.
-Nia Jax made her entrance. [c]
-More slideshow images were shown from 25 years of Smackdown. They showed Sheamus and Michael Hayes in the front row. Then they showed an aerial shot of Seattle. Cole touted a sellout of over 14,000. They showed clips of Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Pretty Deadly catching fish at a local fish market.
-Jax stood mid-ring as her music faded. She said she returned to Smackdown a year ago and since then everyone has found out that she is the irresistible force. She talked about her big wins and said how easy they were. She said every woman in the back has good reason to fear her. She said Aldis told her she’ll be defending her title at Badd Blood. She said she doesn’t care who her opponent is because she’ll annihilate whomever it is. Bayley’s music played. Jax rolled her eyes.
Bayley walked out with a mic in hand. “Ding dong, idiot,” she said, followed by her laugh. She told Jax that Nia should get credit for having the greatest year of her career. She entered the ring and said she is happy she is feeling confident. She said she wants her rematch. She walked right up to Jax. Jax told her she’s in no position to demand anything from her. She said this isn’t like last year when she was hiding behind Damage CTRL. She said she runs the Women’s Division and doesn’t need a posse to do it. Bayley asked what she’s using Tiffany for, then. She asked who owes whom. “Where are you guys at right now?” Tiffany’s music played and she walked out.
Tiffany said this is so pathetic of Bayley. She said Nia knows better than to listen to her. She said she’s just one of the women in the locker room who is jealous that she has the Money in the Bank briefcase “and doesn’t have to beg for a title shot like a peasant.” Bayley said she beat Tiffany last week. Tiffany said that’s only because Jax got involved. Jax shot Tiffany a look of indignation. Jax then turned and told Bayley she almost had her. She said they could beat her down right now. Suddenly out came Naomi.
Naomi said they can all fight if that’s what they want. She said it’s been a while since she held a title and “it’s about time I did it again.” She told Jax to put her money where her big mouth is “and let it glow.” Jax said it appears both Bayley and Naomi want her title, so they should wrestle each other to see who gets a title shot. Bayley asked if she’s suggesting a triple threat. Jax said they should have a tag match against the two of them and whomever wins can get the match against her at Badd Blood. Bayley and Naomi chatted briefly, then said in unison, “We accept!” Jax said her added stip is that whomever loses has to leave Smackdown permanently. When Bayley called Tiffany an idiot, Tiffany turned and swung with her briefcase. Naomi gave her a Rear View.
-Kelley tracked down Aldis backstage for an update. Aldis said Reigns told him he wants to address the situation in the ring after the next match. He said they’ll find out together at the end of the show. [c]
-They showed others in the front row including William Regal, Ron Simmons & Teddy Long, Bobby Roode, and Damian Priest.
(4) CARMELO HAYES vs. ANDRADE
Hayes attacked Andrade before the bell. The ref backed off Hayes and checked on Andrade. Andrade said he was fine. The ref called for the bell 34 minutes into the hour. Hayes went on the attack right away again. They fought on the ringside barricade. Andrade gave Hayes a Spanish Fly. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Andrade made a comeback, played to the crowd, and then landed double-knees in the corner. He went for the cover, but Hayes grabbed the bottom rope to stop the ref’s count. Andrade eventually countered a huracanrana by Hayes and landed a leaping underhook faceplant for the win. Cole said that’s three wins for Andrade and two for Hayes so far in the series.
WINNER: Andrade in 10:00.
-LA. Knight walked out afterward to his music, U.S. Title belt over his shoulder. Knight told Andrade he’s the next challenger for his belt. He told him he hopes he was feeling the tingles and jingles down there, but he’s going to get dropped on his head. He said it won’t be hard for him to figure out afterward whose game it is after their match. [c]
-They hyped Bayley & Naomi vs. Jax & Tiffany next week.
-Byron Saxton interviewed Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill backstage. Jade told any challengers to come apply. Belair said anytime, anyplace. Jax and Tiffany walked in and threatened to hurt Naomi if she stuck her nose in her business again. She also had some words for Belair and Jade, foreshadowing matches with them around the corner.
-Cole touted that this is the 38th TV sellout and 57th total sellout of 2024.
-Roman Reigns made his ring entrance. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
-Aldis stood in the ring with Reigns. Reigns cut off Aldis and asked for the mic. Fans chanted “OTC! OTC!” Reigns soaked it up for a few seconds. Reigns said he doesn’t want to confuse anybody. “Some things change, but not me,” he said.
He said he doesn’t need Aldis or a contract. He said this is family business. “I don’t need a partner and I definitely don’t need the help of Cody Rhodes,” he said. He said he is the Tribal Chief regardless of what Solo has around his neck. He said he’s not just the current Tribal Chief, he’s the only Tribal Chief. “This is my ring, this is my show, this is my WWE.”
Cody’s music played and he walked out. He stood on the ring apron, stared at Reigns, and then entered the ring. He limped toward Reigns and asked for the mic. Cody talked about their history and dropped the mic. Reigns dropped the mic. As the situation got tense again, Solo’s music played. He marched out with Jacob Fatu. Tama and Loa attacked Reigns and Cody from behind. Cody fought back and gave Loa a Cody Cutter. Reigns gave Tama a uranage.
Reigns and Cody then circled each other. Reigns picked up the contract and opened the folder and eyed it. Reigns looked down at Solo at ringside and then signed the contract. Cody thought about things, then offered a handshake. Fans cheered. Reigns hung his head, drew in a deep breath, and handed Cody the contract without looking him in the eyes. Cody signed it. Reigns then looked Cody in the eyes. Cody’s music played and Reigns turned away, hands on hips, and then turned back to Cody to acknowledge the contract he signed. The show ended.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair to review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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