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KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
SEPTEMBER 10, 2021
LIVE FROM NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
AIRED LIVE ON FOX BROADCAST NETWORK
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
[HOUR ONE]
-A video aired on the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 including footage of the first WWE event after it and some other sporting events afterward, plus the building of the new tower in place of the Twin Towers.
-They went to a wide shot of the arena full of fans chanting “USA! USA!” Then they went to Michael Cole and Pat McAfee at ringside. Cole noted it’s their first time in MSG for Smackdown in two years. McAfee took a verbal shot at the terrorists.
-Roman Reigns’s theme played and he walked out with Paul Heyman and the Usos. They milked the entrance as much as ever. Reigns asked Heyman if they run “sports entertainment in New York City.” Heyman said Reigns does. He asked everyone to acknowledge him. Fans chanted “Roman! Roman!” Brock Lesnar’s music then played and the crowd popped. Cole said it’s his first appearance on Smackdown in nearly two years, but noted he returned to WWE in Las Vegas, Nev. at Summerslam. McAfee said if the aliens came to Earth and wanted to fight a human, “this is the one we’d send.” Reigns stepped up to his face. The Usos then stepped in and got in his face. Lesnar smiled at them.
Heyman said, “Brock, Brock, I fail to understand. I have one simple question for you. Of all the championships we could go after, why the Universal Title. Think of all the success we could have.” Lesnar put his hand over the mic. Lesnar said, “I’ve got a question for you, Paul. Why didn’t you tell Roman I was going to be at Summerslam.” Reigns and the Usos shot him a look. They liberally muted the “You f—ed up” chant that the New York fans were chanting. Heyman said he didn’t know and pleaded with Reigns to believe him. Reigns yanked the Universal Title belt from Heyman and left the ring. The Usos followed. Lesnar laughed as Heyman stood nervously with Lesnar in the ring.
Heyman said “Ladies and gentleman, my name is Paul Heyman. And for 20 years, I was the advocate for the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Heavyweight Champion of the world, Brock Lesnar!” Lesnar said that was great, just like old times. His expression then changed. He said, “Before Roman Reigns fires you, accept my challenge, please.” Heyman asked what challenge. Lesnar grabbed Heyman by the lapels and said, “My shot against Roman Reigns for the Universal Title.” He told Heyman he had five seconds. He lifted Heyman for an F5, but Reigns interceded with a Superman Punch. Lesnar fell backward with Heyman still in his arms. Reigns went for a Superman Punch on Lesnar, but Lesnar caught him. The Usos superkicked Lesnar, but Lesnar fired back by clotheslining both of them. He gave each of them back suplexes and then tore off his flannel shirt and stared down at Reigns. [c]
-WWE touted 13.5 million followers on TikTok, beating the major league sports organizations.
-Backstage, Kayla Braxton approached Reigns, the Usos, and Heyman. Reigns and the Usos went into the locker room and seemed shaken up. She asked if Reigns will accept the challenge. Heyman, with a shaky voice, said Brock accused him of knowing he was coming to Summerslam and betraying his Tribal Chief. He said the Tribal Chief has to get his cousins ready to defend their tag titles “and here you are, hanging out in a hallways like a Jersey Girl ambush interviewing us asking all the wrong questions at the wrong time.” He said the Tribal Chief will answer Lesnar’s challenge when he feels it’s appropriate. He then went into the locker room.
-Sami Zayn was standing in the ring and interrupted the Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs ring entrance. He declared, “I love New York!” He said he has arranged for a very special guest to be in their corner, someone who knows what it takes to win at MSG. He asked the crowd to give a big NYC welcome to Mr. Trey Young from the Atlanta Hawks. McAfee said he took the soul out of the arena the last time he played the Knicks. Sami was in a Knicks jersey and he welcomed Trey.
(1) SAMI ZAYN & APOLLO CREWS (w/Commander Azeez) & OTIS (w/Chad Gable) & DOLPH ZIGGLER & ROBERT ROODE vs. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA & RICK BOOGS & REY MYSTERIO & DOMINIK MYSTERIO & BIG E
Otis tossed Nakamura to the floor. Nakamura kicked Gable when Gable got near him. He backed away from Azeez. Otis then knocked him to the floor where Gable trash-talked him. Otis stood on Nakamura’s chest and then splashed him in the corner. They cut to an early break. [c]
Sami tripped Rey as he ran the ropes. Trey choked Rey over the top rope. The ref kicked him out of ringside. The fans roared. Trey complained for a while. Ziggler collapsed like he was just given the worst news ever. Rey recovered and tagged in Dominik. They landed a double 619. Big E then finished off Sami for the clean win.
WINNERS: Big E & Boogs & Nakamura & Rey & Dominik in 10:00.
-Kayla interviewed Big E mid-ring and congratulated him on the win. He said they had one heck of a team just like this year’s New York Knicks. She asked about his MITB briefcase. She asked what is next for him. He said this might not be the last time they see him out there tonight because whether it’s Bobby Lashley or Roman Reigns, “if you have what I need, I’m coming for your neck.” He said might show up next Monday on Raw, too. The crowd quickly deflated. He said they will feel his power.
-They hyped Seth Rollins vs. Edge.
-Bianca Belair made her ring entrance next. [c]
-Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville were in the ring as Belair entered and danced to her music. Pearce asked her to make it official and sign the contract. McAfee said, “Contract signings are the best!” Belair said it’s great to be at MSG. Fans loudly chanted, “EST! EST!” She said the last time she was in the ring with Becky Lynch at Summerslam, she wasn’t expecting a title match. (She was scheduled to face Sasha Banks, so that’s not the best wording.) She said what she used to respect most about Becky is she would never run from a fight, “but my have things changed.” She said Becky knows if they really had a match, she’d lose. She said she respects Becky less than she used to. She signed the contact. McAfee said, “This is going really smooth!”
Becky Lynch then came out in sunglasses and a big red coat. It was over-the-top obnoxious and alone enough to turn fans strongly against her. She’s having so much fun being a heel. She sat down, leaned back, and said, “The original WrestleMania main eventer has arrived.” She said she saw how star-struck Belair was at Summerslam, “delighted to share the ring with Big Time Becks.” She told her there’s no shame in sitting out there with the regular people. She told Pearce and Deville she said she’d give Belair the match when she was ready. She said it might have been tonight at MSG and she’d have beat her in 20 seconds. She asked what if she doesn’t sign it. Belair said, “Sign the damn contract!” She said everyone wants her to sign it. “Sign it! Sign it! Sign it!” Belair said. The fans then chanted that. McAfee said 14,425 strong were chanting it.
Becky stood up, offended. She said she was sitting at home hearing fans chanting “We Want Becky!” She said she came back and beat the champ in 26 seconds “and this is how you treat me?” She said she left her baby girl at home for them, “and you’re favoring a flash-in-the-pan over me.” Belair leaned back, enjoying Becky’s emotional distress. An “EST!” chant broke out. She said, “Fine, fine, if you can’t join them, beat them.” She said it’s going to end the same way. She signed it and then threw it at Belair. She immediately left the ring and held up her belt. Belair stood and smiled. Cole said Belair wants her fair shake at Extreme Rules.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good segment. They didn’t drag it out, either. Becky is having a blast as a heel. Belair is benefiting. It’s one of those angles that seemed bad at first, but has played out well. Both Becky and Belair have been great.)
-They aired a video package on Edge vs. Seth Rollins. Edge then made his ring entrance. [c]
-Heyman was on his phone when Tegan Nox and Shotzi drove by in their tank and asked Heyman if he needed a ride. Kayla then appeared and Heyman yelled, “What?” He said all she does is nag nag nag. He said Reign is going to witness his cousins beat The Street Profits, and then live in MSG he will answer the challenge of Brock Lesnar. “Whether that is a yes or a not, don’t you just love a good cliffhanger.” He turned around and there was Big E holding up the briefcase. He made some high-pitched noises and began quivering.
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[HOUR TWO]
(2) SETH ROLLINS vs. EDGE
As Seth came out, Cole talked about Edge’s neck surgery and talked about the potential ramifications if Seth is successful in landing the Stomp on Edge. The bell rang and fans chanted “Edge! Edge!” They worked at a slower pace to start. Seth landed a dive through the ropes at 3:00. Then they cut to a break. [c]
-They announced Bobby Lashley vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Title this Monday night on Raw.
Back to the match, Seth was in control at ringside. Seth worked over Edge for a few minutes. Edge made a comeback, blocking a Pedigree and then giving Seth a Pedigree of his own. He scored a two count. The crowd was popping for the spots and the kickout. They chanted “You still got it!” McAfee said the man who made it famous is an absolute stud. Edge leaped off the top rope onto Seth at ringside. They cut to another break. [c]
After the break, Edge landed a full nelson slam for a near fall. Edge gingerly climbed to the top rope, but Seth popped up. McAfee asked if he’s a spider monkey. Edge dropped Seth face-first off the ropes. He then applied a standing leglock. Seth twisted out and sent Edge into the bottom turnbuckle. Edge rolled through into an STF a minute later. Seth reached for the bottom rope. Edge blocked his hand and then slammed his head into the mat. Seth did grab the ropes then, forcing the release. Rollins came back a couple minutes later with a bucklebomb. Edge caught Seth with a spear as he charged at him and got a believable very near fall that popped the crowd big. They went to a wide shot of the arena. McAfee said MSG is having an out of body experience with a match surpassing expectations.
Seth hit Edge with a low-blow that the ref didn’t see, and then a superkick, dropping Edge to his knees. Cole said Edge was defenseless. Seth hit another superkick. Edge sat up again. McAfee said he’s too tough for his own good. “Get the hell out of the way!” he said. Seth landed a third superkick. He asked if Edge had anything left. He then delivered a stomp. He covered Edge and got the three count. The ref frantically called for medics to help Edge out. Cole said this is something they’ve been fearing ever since Edge came back. They cut to a break as they showed Seth looking on admiring his work. [c]
-They showed Edge being loaded into an ambulance. Then they replayed key moves at the end of the Edge-Seth match. They went backstage where the ambulance drove off. Pearce and Deville gave Seth an angry look. Seth seemed a little shaken up. Sarah Schreiber asked him for a comment. He stammered and said he doesn’t know how he feels or how he’s supposed to feel. He said maybe he doesn’t feel anything at all.
-They cut backstage to Reigns, the Usos, and Heyman. Heyman stood in the background, but seemed to have regained his confidence. Reigns gave the Usos a nice pep talk – for him, at least. He said they run the Garden and they run WWE, so don’t lose. The Usos said they’ve got it and they’ll make the family proud. “We’re the ones.” The Usos headed out. Reigns told Paul, “Paul, I saved you. Why didn’t you tell me that Brock was at Summerslam.” Heyman said nothing and Reigns stared at him as they cut to a break. [c]
(3) THE USOS vs. THE STREET PROFITS – WWE Smackdown Tag Team Title match
The Profits ring entrance aired. Then the Usos came out. They showed Heyman and Reigns watching backstage. Montez Ford went right after the Usos at the start. The Usos came back and landed a dive onto Ford at ringside. They cut to a very early break. [c]
The Profits were in control after the break and scored a two count after an assisted backdrop onto Jimmy. A screen graphic noted that Smackdown was the no. 1 trend in the United States. Ford landed a flying flip onto both Usos. McAfee exclaimed, “He cleared the top rope by five feet!” Reigns walked out. They cut to another break. [c]
Ford went on a dazzling sequence of offense with only one shoe. McAfee marveled and raved. Reigns watched. Fans chanted “One shoe!” Dawkins tagged in and Ford landed a top rope blockbuster off of Dawkins’s shoulders for a near fall. Jimmy came back with a headbutt, then Jey tagged in and caught Dawkins with a superkick. They showed Reigns reacting at ringside with Heyman. A minute later, Jey landed a top rope frog splash for a convincing near fall. Reigns looked concerned. Heyman looked on the verge of a breakdown, again watching Reigns, not the match. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Jimmy went for a frog splash, but Dawkins lifted his knees. Ford landed a top rope splash a second later and Reigns ran in and broke up the cover. He choked out Ford. The ref called for the bell, DQing the Usos. Ford went limp as Reigns cinched on the hold long past Ford being knocked out.
WINNERS: The Street Profits via DQ in 15:00.
-Reigns grabbed the mic and said he ducks no man, so if Brock Lesnar wants it, he’s going to get it. He said he will smash him as soon as he’s done smashing Finn Balor. The lights went out, and when they came back on, the lights were red and augmented reality showed a red planet and lightning. Then Finn Balor showed up. Cole said it is Finn Balor’s alter ego, The Demon, showing up at Smackdown for the first time. McAfee said Reigns won’t face Balor at Extreme Rules, he’ll face The Demon. Cole explained that when Balor is pushed too far, he turns into the Demon. They had a staredown mid-ring. Balor’s new Demon look is more sinister looking than ever.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really strong closing segment to the show from the match to Reigns accepting the Lesnar challenge to the appearance of the new-look Demon.)
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