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WWE SMACKDOWN TV REPORT
OCTOBER 14, 2022
NEW ORLEANS, LA. AT SMOOTHIE KING CENTER
AIRED ON FOX
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with a car crash scene outside the arena with one of the cars on fire. Michael Cole said it happened right before they went on air. Karrion Kross was injured. Drew McIntyre showed up and actually attacked Kross, throwing him into the side of a truck and trying to slam a door on Kross. Adam Pearce (he lives!) then showed up with other officials and separated them. Scarlett checked on Kross.
-The Smackdown “Are you ready?” opening theme aired. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett introduced the show as pyro blasted on the stage. They commented on clips of the McIntyre vs. Kross strap match at Extremer Rules. They set the stage for the show including Bray Wyatt.
-New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) came out and boasted they hold the record for the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. He said that record is important to them. Cole noted the Usos are 30 days away from that record.
-Backstage, Sami Zayn told Solo Sikoa how much he appreciates him when Jey Uso walked in. Sami asked where Jimmy was, but Jey said it’s family business. Sami said if that were true, he’d have heard about it. Sami told Jey to come to the ring with him so Solo can prepare for his match later. Roman Reigns called Sami on his phone. Sami said, “Hi Broman.” Roman told Sami that Jey should’ve helped Sami on Raw. Sami gave Jey the phone and Roman told Jey he should have helped. Jey was exasperated. Sami took the phone back and laughed. Jey asked what that was all about. Sami said it was an inside joke with him and Roman, so he wouldn’t understand.
(1) KOFI KINGSTON (w/Xavier Woods) vs. SAMI ZAYN
Sami bailed out after a flurry by Kofi and then they cut to an early break. [c]
Kofi controlled the action for a while. Cole said they were working on getting a medical update on Kross and the accident was being investigated. Sami shoved Kofi off the top rope and they cut to another break. [c]
Sami landed a Blue Thunder Bomb in the ring as Jey had enough of Xavier’s trombone and superkicked him. Kofi rallied and led a “New… Day Sucks!” chant. Jey stood on the ring apron. Kofi turned and knocked him down. Sami rolled up Kofi for a near fall. Kofi rolled up Sami, but Jey shoved Kofi and so Sami got the roll-up pin.
WINNER: Sami.
-Backstage, Triple H thanked two police officers. Rey Mysterio walked up to Triple H and apologized for taking up his time, but he said he can’t do it anymore. He said he loves WWE, but it’s too painful to be around his son now. He struggled to speak and got choked up, then said, “I quit.” Triple H put his hand on Rey’s shoulder and said there has be another solution. Rey went into Triple H’s office.
-Backstage, Shotzi welcomed Roxanne Perez to Smackdown. Raquel Rodriguez walked in and Shotzi introduced them. Roxanne said she’s chosen Rodriguez to be Cora Jade’s opponent. Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky walked in. Bayley said she should have chosen her. Roxanne said she would have but she’s not exactly on a winning streak. Bayley challenged them to a six-woman tag match.
-Cole hyped the Fox network NFL games on Sunday.
(2) BRAUN STROWMAN vs. JAMES MAVERICK & BRIAN THOMAS
As Braun tossed his opponents around the ring, Omos and MVP walked down the steps of the arena. Braun looked at them, then went back to beating up his opponents. Omos stood right by the security barricade and stared at Braun. Braun then powerbombed one guy onto the other, whom he had powerslammed seconds earlier. The guy didn’t go up the first time, but Braun was strong enough to correct course and muscle him up on the second try.
WINNER: Braun in 2:00.
-After the match, MVP said standing next to Omos, Braun looks normal. He told him not to get too comfortable. Braun stood on the second rope and said Omos is nothing compared to him. He took offense to MVP saying Omos is bigger than him. Cole said Braun doesn’t look happy.
(Keller’s Analysis: Are they going to deliver this match at Crown Jewel? I can imagine some fans being intrigued by this clash of two giants.)
-Cole hyped the Fatal Four-way match later for an Intercontinental Title match, but questioned Kross’s status. [c]
-Sami told Solo to get the job done for the Bloodline just like he did. Jey said, “You’re welcome, Sami.” Sami asked, “For what?” Jey said he helped him win as Roman asked him to do. Sami said he did it all on his own. Jey asked Solo to back him up. Solo said he missed it and was watching Sami because he can learn a lot from him. Sami clapped and smiled. He gave Solo a pep talk as Jey crossed his arms and looked frustrated.
(Keller’s Analysis: The interplay with this group is really fun every week. Do they want fans to like Jey getting frustrated or feel sympathy for Jey at this point? Jey isn’t really doing anything wrong. He just seems protective of his family, is suspicious of Sami, and is jealous of Sami being tight with his younger brother Solo.)
(3) MANSOOR (w/Maxxine, Mace) vs. L.A. KNIGHT
Knight came out to his NXT theme song. He took early control, clotheslining Mansoor over the top rope. Barrett complimented Knight’s physique and asked why he kept it covered up with a suit for so long. When Knight went after Mansoor at ringside, Maxxine stepped in Knight’s path. Mace said, “You wouldn’t hit a woman, would you?” Mansoor hit Knight from behind and then landed a neckbreaker in the ring for a two count. Cole said Knight has “unapologetic confidence and charisma.” Knight came back and caught Mansoor’s boot and flipped him over. After hitting a clothesline, Mace distracted him from the ring apron. Knight knocked him down and then hit his BFT finisher for the win. Cole told Barrett that’s the Knight he knew in NXT. Barrett said indeed it is and said he “won in style.”
WINNER: Knight in 3:00.
-Knight stood mid-ring with a mic after the match. He told the fans he didn’t just do that for them. He insulted the fans and said he doesn’t want them chanting his name. He said he is putting the entire WWE Superstar roster on notice. He said it’s his game from now on.
(Keller’s Analysis: Knight makes more sense as a heel than a babyface, so I’m in favor of quickly moving past feuding with MMM and doing his cocky heel act as a wrestler higher on the card.)
-Cole plugged Bray Wyatt highlights up next. [c]
-Clips aired of Wyatt at Extreme Rules. Cole said he had goosebumps because Bray would be live on Smackdown for the first time in over two years.
(4) DAMAGE CTRL (Bayley & Iyo Sky & Dakota Sky) vs. ROXANNE & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ & SHOTZI
As Damage CTRL walked out, Cole commented on clips of the Bianca Belair vs. Bayley ladder match at Extreme Rules with a bunch of superlatives. He wondered if Bayley was rattled after losing at Extreme Rules and also losing on Raw. Barrett said he’s going to let Bayley know the smack he’s talking about Bayley so she can give him a ding-dong before getting back to her winning ways. Barrett said since Roxanne is only 20 years old, she can’t properly celebrate on Bourbon Street after the show. Cole hyped the return to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 26 as part of the WWE Holiday Tour.
Kai and Sky yanked Rodriguez out of the ring by her legs to stop her rally against Bayley. Sky leaped off the ring apron with a moonsault onto Rodriguez. Shotzi, though, leaped off the top rope onto Sky and Kai at ringside. “Bodies everywhere!” shouted Cole. Bayley and Roxanne then battled mid-ring. Bayley landed her Bayley-to-belly for a believable near fall. Bayley went for a Roseplant a minute later, but Roxanne countered it for a two count. Bayley then reversed it and scored a leverage three count to end her losing streak.
WINNERS: Bayley & Kai & Sky.
-Cole threw to a sponsored video package on “another group trying to take control,” Legado del Fantasma.
-Hit Row made their ring entrance. [c]
(5) TOP DOLLA & ASHANTE “THEE” ADONIS (w/B-Fab) vs. JOAQUIN WILDE & CRUZ DEL TORO (w/Santos Escobar, Zelina Vega)
Top Dolla danced before dropping a leaping elbow. Escobar yanked Adonis off the ring apron. B-Fab and Vega got into it at ringside, too. Back in the ring, Wilde and Cruz hit a double-team move to win.
WINNERS: Wilde & Del Toro.
-Kayla Braxton interviewed Sonya Deville, who complained about Liv Morgan getting “literally gifted opportunity after opportunity and failing.” She said she got destroyed against Ronda Rousey. “Liv Morgan doesn’t have ‘it.'” She called her whiny. Liv attacked her and slammed her onto the rolling crate backstage. She continued to beat on Deville. Cole said she was incensed after her loss at Extreme Rules and didn’t want to hear Sonya talking trash. She then climbed a pillar backstage and leaped onto Deville with a senton on a table. Cole asked what’s gotten into her.
(Keller’s Analysis: This is a good place for Morgan to land after moving out of the title picture.)
-Ricochet made his ring entrance first for the main event. [c]
(6) SHEAMUS vs. RICOCHET vs. SOLO SIKOA vs. REY MYSTERIO
They announced Kross was too injured to wrestle, so Rey was his replacement. Triple H apparently gave him a pep talk. Rey got in a flurry of offense early and landed a twisting corkscrew dive over the top rope onto his opponents at ringside. Cole noted that Rey and Sheamus have never wrestled each other, which sounds crazy. They cut to an early break. [c]
Everyone tagged in and got in some offense. Cole said Rey is officially on the Smackdown roster now. Ricochet battled Rey and went for a shooting star press, but Rey moved. Solo then entered the ring and attacked both of them with corner splashes and a leaping wheel kick to that took Sheamus down when he charged at him. The kick largely hit Sheamus’s forearm and didn’t look great. [c]
Solo was still in control after the break. He slammed both Ricochet and Rey off the second rope as they were setting up a superplex on Sheamus. Sheamus then leaped off the second rope with a knee to Solo to break up his cover. Everyone was down and slow to get up. Sheamus bashed Solo with 26 forearms to the chest as he had him bent backwards over the top rope. He followed with an Irish Curse backbreaker followed by a Cloverleaf. He released it when Jey Uso entered the ring. Sheamus swung at him with a clothesline, which appeared to barely graze Jey, but Jey went flying over the top rope.
Sami jumped in the ring, but Sheamus clotheslined him and knocked him to the floor. Cole noted the (absolutely ludicrous) Fatal Four-way rule that makes any and all interference legal. When Sami punched away at Sheamus at ringside, Jey pulled him off and punched away at him instead. Ridge Holland and Butch made the save for Sheamus. In the ring, Rey set up Ricochet for a 619, but Ricochet caught his feet. Rey countered a Ricochet move and drove his head into the mat. He hit a 619 next followed by a top rope splash for the win. “Welcome back to Friday nights, welcome back to your home!” Cole said.
WINNER: Rey in 15:00 to earn an Intercontinental Title match.
(Keller’s Analysis: Rey is a good, popular, sympathetic babyface to feed to Gunther. It’s believable Rey would be at a point where he can’t be around his son anymore and just wants to get on with things and have Dominik make his own mistakes.) [c]
-Cole and Barrett hyped next week’s line-up: Logan Paul, Sonya Deville vs. Liv Morgan, and Damage CTRL vs. Shotzi & Raquel for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
-Bray Wyatt made his ring entrance. All the special effects were on display as he eventually came through a doorway with a lantern. “This is a version of me I’ve never gotten to introduce to you guys before,” he said. “This is genuine me, for the first time.” He said over the last year, he’s lost a lot of things. Someone shouted they love him and he said they love him too. He said he lost his self-confidence and two people who are very close to him. He said he lost his way and got to the point where he thought everything he had ever done in WWE was meaningless. He said he was wrong, though. Fans cheered. He said when he was done feeling sorry for himself and seeing people again, people would ask him when he was coming back.
He said someone came up to him and said they felt weak and vulnerable, but his words saved their life. He said he doesn’t think about stuff like that. Fans loudly chanted, “Thank you, Bray!” He said he can sit there and look at all of them in the eyes and say that they were there when he was weak and vulnerable and down. He said, “You all saved my life. You wouldn’t leave me alone. Every time I tried to run away and hide, you were there to find me. You chased me.” He was interrupted by the scary mask on the big screen, calling him to forget the future because his life is done and he has no idea what he’s doing, but he will. Then a sinister laugh and the upside down firefly logo.
(Keller’s Analysis: That’ll generate some fun conversation. Intriguing and well-done as a relaunch point for his act.)
Great to see the return of L.A. Knight, who truly is a megastar. It’s fine if they start him as a heel, but just as it was in NXT the fans will eventually turn him. He’s the kind of cool heel no one wants to boo. He is someone who can draw a lot of money and headline major events. With the new regime I feel very good about his prospects going forward.