SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AT DELTA CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today 8,192 tickets had been distributed. The arena has a capacity of 20,000 spectators when configured for concerts. Ticket sales are down roughly 3,000 from the last Smackdown at the arena in February earlier this year.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnettto review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with a scene of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah with the mountains in the background as Michael Cole introduced the show.
-A three minute video package aired on last week’s Bloodline happenings closing with Roman Reigns finding out Paul Heyman’s number had changed and he wasn’t given the new number.
-The New Bloodline made their ring entrance – Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Jacob Fatu, and Bronson Reed. Cole and Graves talked about the addition of Reed as the fifth man on their team for War Games. Cole said the OG Bloodline only have four members and haven’t had luck getting a fifth person to agree to team with them. Solo told Salt Lake City to acknowledge him. Fans booed. He said they’d dominate WarGames. He said Roman Reign isn’t even there yet, but when he arrives, he wants him to meet him in the middle of the ring to “accept my terms of surrendering.” He said after that, Roman and his crew can finally acknowledge him.
-They went to Cole and Corey Graves at ringside who previewed the key segments and matches on the show which includes L.A. Knight defending the U.S. Title against Santos Escobar.
-Bianca Belair made her ring entrance.
-A commercial aired for WWE Raw going to Netflix with a QR code for tickets at Intuit Center. [c]
(1) BIANCA BELAIR vs. CHELSEA GREEN vs. BLAIR DAVENPORT – U.S. Title tournament match
Davenport made her entrance after the break. Then finally Green. The bell rang 17 minutes into the hour. They opened with a series of leverage two counts on each other. They cut to a double-box break at 2:00. [c/db]
Green superplexed Davenport. Both were slow to get up. Belair then landed a 450 on Davenport. Green yanked Belair off of Davenport. Green went for the cover, but Belair yanked her out by her boot. Belair threw Green into the ringside barricade and then made a cover, but Davenport recovered enough by then to kick out on her own. The big screen showed Jade Cargill knocked out on a hood of a car with a broken windshield and a bloodied and bruised face. Belair saw it and acted conflicted, but then ran to the back to check on her. Green re-entered the ring and scored a two count. Green then hit an Unprettier for the win.
WINNER: Green in 10:00 to advance in the U.S. Title Tournament.
-Cole and Graves presented the updated bracket graphic. [c]
-Belair was standing outside near the ambulance with Bayley, Naomi, Nick Aldis, and some agents. Belair told Bayley that it was her partner, so stay out of it.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good to see Green advance as she’s a good choice to win this secondary women’s title.)
-They showed Adam Ray, a comedian with a Netflix special.
(2) L.A. KNIGHT vs. SANTOS ESCOBAR – U.S. Title match
Knight came out first. Then Elektra Lopez accompanied Santos Escobar to the ring. Before the bell rang, a video took over the screen of Shinsuke Nakamura with a black and red color scheme showing imagery of Knight. Nakamura said he knows him better than he knows himself and he hides his fears behind cheers of fans. He said he lies in bed at night with fear that everything he has achieved will slip through his fingers. “Your fears are justified,” he said. “This is the beginning of your end.”
Escobar attacked Knight as he was distracted by the video. The ref backed Escobar away and checked on Knight, then called for the bell when Knight got to his feet. Cole said there could be some truth to what Nakamura is saying. He said Knight has had to go through a lot the last couple years to finally win gold in WWE. Escobar springboard-splashed Knight at ringside. They cut to a break at 1:00. [c/db]
Graves said Knight has learned to use his insecurities as fuel to succeed in WWE. Knight and Escobar battled on the top rope. Knight shoved Escobar to the mat. Nakamura showed up in the entrance area. Escobar went after a distracted Knight and took Knight to the mat with a huracanrana. Escobar landed a top rope splash. Knight countered a Phantom Driver with a BFT for the win.
WINNER: Knight in 8:00.
-Nakamura attacked Knight within two seconds of Knight’s win. He threw Knight shoulder-first into the ringpost several times. Nakamura had black and white facepaint visible behind his bangs hanging in front of his face.
-They went to Graves and Cole at ringside. Graves said this could be the most dangerous version of Nakamura they’ve seen. They shifted to a recap of Tommaso Ciampa’s actions last week during the Motor City Machine Guns vs. Street Profits match, then Angelo Dawkins hitting Alex Shelley in frustration.
-Shelley and Chris Sabin were talking with Johnny Gargano backstage. Gargano was saying WWE never gave them a rematch for the tag titles. Sabin said Ciampa ruined their chance to prove themselves last week with a successful title defense. Gargano lobbied for a title shot anyway. Sabin said after what happened last week, the Profits deserved the title shot. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins walked in. Ford said they deserve the rematch. Dawkins said Ciampa is bad news. He said snakes hide in the grass. Gargano asked what that even means. Gargano went back to lobbying Sabin & Shelley for the tag titles.
-They showed Roman Reigns, the Usos, and Sami Zayn backstage. Cole noted that Solo called him out earlier. Graves hyped that the Cody Rhodes-Kevin Owens segment was next. [c]
-Aldis asked Nia Jax if she had anything to do with what happened to Jade. Jax said she didn’t. Aldis saw Cody and told him nobody’s seen Owens and he might not be there. Cody said he doesn’t believe him because “Kevin wouldn’t miss this opportunity.”
-Cody made his ring entrance. Cody stood mid-ring and absorbed chants of “Cody! Cody!” He said it’s face-to-face time. He said Randy Orton is not there “and they’re telling me Kevin Owens is not here, but I don’t believe it.” He asked him to please, please, please come to the ring. He told Owens not to leave him waiting. Owens walked out with a mic in hand. He stood in the lower deck and said he was summoned to be there because Cody requested him. He said he was wearing his tuxedo t-shirt, but Cody couldn’t be bothered to wear his “sleazy politician suit.”
Cody said he wasn’t summoned to stand over there, but rather face-to-face with him. Cody dropped down and moved toward KO, but security guys stopped him. Owens said he can see he’s all riled up, so if he wants to fight him, he should tell him what has him so upset. He said what happened to him and Randy was his fault. KO marched toward the ring and said, “I’ll tell you why!” He stood on the announce desk and said for four years, he fought The Bloodline and they tried to end his career. He said Reigns in particular tried, but he never could and never will.
[HOUR TWO]
He said he fought them alongside Cody and tried to help him win the WWE Title. He said he celebrated with him at WrestleMania because he finished his story. He had a snotty tone there. He said when Roman needed someone to team with him, Cody did. “So everything that’s happened is your fault,” he said. Cody yelled, “Enough! Enough!” He said KO can believe his story, but the reality is him teaming with Roman had nothing to do with Owens. He said KO needs his story to be that everyone is against him. “But nobody holds Kevin Owens down more than Kevin Owens,” he said. “Your self-sabotage is absolutely next-level.” He said he is obsessed and fixated with being the face of WWE. He said WWE is a team effort anyway. He said during that whole time, he was actually synonymous for a decade and one of the best Superstars in a decade “and everyone knows it but Kevin Owens.” Owens snarled at Cody.
Cody said at Bash in Berlin, Owens didn’t pull the trigger when he could have hurt his knee and powerbombed him on the apron. He said had he, he might have become WWE Champion. “And you blame me for that,” he said. He said Owens finally did pull the trigger, but on the wrong guy. He said Orton is a legend and he didn’t deserve what he did to him. Owens teared up and began to seem affected by Cody’s words.
Cody said KO crossed every line he could and the lesson won’t be solved with words. He said he’ll beat the lesson into him, either tonight, at Survivor Series, or at Saturday Night’s Main Event. He said it’s coming and the ball is in his court. Owens said: “You wanna fight me, huh?” He said he’ll get a match against him when he says it’s happening. Fans booed. KO told the fans that for that, it’s definitely not happening tonight. He said he won’t have to worry about him pulling the trigger in their match. He said he loved Randy but he still pulled the trigger on him. He told Cody he hates him. KO turned and began to leave.
Cody told KO that he doesn’t hate him, but rather he hates himself. He said he knows the lengths he’s willing to go now. He said there is not a single line he won’t cross either. He threw down the mic and his music played.
-Cole said he can’t remember the last time he’s seen Cody Rhodes this pissed off. He said KO is unhinged and much of what Cody said about him rings true. Graves said the problem with KO is that his convictions will top all else in his brain and none of Cody’s truth-bombs rang true to KO.
-A recap aired of Solo’s comments at the start of the show.
-They went backstage to the OG Bloodline locker room. Sami said it’s ridiculous that Solo asked them to surrender. Jimmy said they still need a fifth man. Sami said he’s out of ideas. Jey asked, “How about Cody Rhodes?” Reigns said, “No, that’s old news. I’ve moved on.” Sami said they could ask Seth one more time. Roman shot him a look. Sami said there’s no one else. He asked what they’re going to do. Reigns said they don’t need anyone else. If they go out there together, they’re good. He said if they’re not, then they die, but they die together. The Usos agreed. Sami said, “I’m in. But what’s the plan?” Reigns said he didn’t know. That was not comforting to the Usos and Sami.
-Bayley and Naomi made their ring entrance. [c]
-They showed an aerial view of the Intuit Dome.
-Carmelo Hayes yelled to Cody that everybody is saying KO was telling the truth that it’s Cody’s fault what happened to Orton. Cody shoved Hayes. Hayes shoved him back. Aldis stepped between them and told them to settle down. Cody said it’s time to reevaluate his first round draft pick.
(3) BAYLEY & NAOMI vs. TIFFANY STRATTON & CANDICE LARAE (w/Nia Jax)
Graves said LeRae is trying to weasel her way into Jax’s good graces. The bell rang 19 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 2:00 after Bayley kicked LeRae at ringside. [c]
Stratton was in control of Bayley after the break. Bayley rolled up Stratton for a two count and took over. She went for a tag, but Stratton lured Naomi into the ring. LeRae then tagged in. Stratton didn’t like that and yelled at LeRae. LeRae went on offense against Bayley, but also kept yelling at Stratton.
Naomi yanked LeRae to ringside and into the barricade. Stratton went for a handspring elbow, but Bayley moved. Bayley crawled over and reached for Naomi. Jax yanked Naomi off the ring apron. The ref called for the bell.
WINNERS: Bayley & Naomi in 8:00 via DQ.
-Afterward, Iyo Sky ran out to stop a post-match attack by the heels. Jax went after Sky, but Sky kicked her in the head and then landed a springboard dropkick. Raquel Rodriguez showed up and kicked Sky. Liv Morgan joined in the attack. Rhea Ripley’s music played and fans exploded with cheers. She charged out with a kendo stick and a facemask. She bashed Rodriguez and Morgan to clear the ring. [c]
-They showed another scene of Salt Lake City.
(4) TOMASSO CIAMPA vs. MONTEZ FORD
The bell rang 35 minutes into the hour. Ford went after Ciampa aggressively. Cole said Ciampa might be jealous of how long Gargano has known Sabin and Shelley. Ford landed his obligatory running dive over the ropes onto Ciampa at ringside. Ciampa kicked Ford off the ring apron, sending him hard into the announce desk. They cut to an early break at 2:00. [c]
Ford was in control after the break. He scored a two count after a standing moonsault. Ciampa rallied and landed a spinning neckbreaker for a two count at 7:00. Ciampa caught a leaping Ford with a knee to the face. He went for a sunset flip, but Ford sat down on Ciampa’s shoulders for the win. “How the hell did Ford win?!” asked Cole.
WINNER: Ford in 8:00.
-As Ford began to celebrate, Ciampa attacked him. Dawkins made the save with a barrage of punches. Gargano pulled Dawkins off of Ciampa. Ciampa attacked Dawkins. Gargano pulled Ciampa off of him. Sabin and Shelley ran out. Ciampa left the ring right away. Shelley and Sabin helped Gargano up. Ciampa yelled to Gargano, “Whose team are you on?” Cole said it’s a legitimate question if you’re Ciampa.
-Graves and Cole hyped next Friday’s Smackdown including Cody vs. Hayes, plus Michin vs. Piper Niven vs. someone else as Jade Cargil had been pulled due to her injuries. He said a suitable replacement would be named.
-Solo made his ring entrance with the rest of the New Bloodline. “Is surrender imminent?” Cole said. [c]
-With the New Bloodline standing in the ring, the OG Bloodline made their way out. They all entered the ring at once. Fans chanted, “OTC! OTC!” Solo told Reigns he still loves all four of them and always has. He said he wanted them to understand that if the four of them join his Bloodline, they can run the company for decades. He said they don’t have a fifth man or a Wise Man, therefore they have no choice. “So surrender yourself, join my team, or the four of you will die where you stand.” Solo offered Reigns the mic as an “OTC!” chant broke out.
After a dramatic pause, Paul Heyman’s voice rang out. “Ladies and gentlemen!” he said. He then walked out in a black suit and a red shirt underneath it. He introduced himself. Fans sang his name with him. He said he was put through a table at MSG so maybe his math is off. He said there is no way to do WarGames four versus five. “No, no, no, no, no,” he said. It won’t be four vs. five, it will be five vs. five. He pointed at the stage and out came C.M. Punk.
Punk walked out, taping his wrists. He had a dead serious look and entered the ring. The two sides of five faced off and brawled. Punk and Sami clotheslined Reed over the top rope to clear the ring. Reigns stood back and watched as Sami and the Usos leaped over the top rope onto the New Bloodline at ringside. Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga attacked Reigns and Punk, but Punk and Reigns took them out with a GTS and a spear. Reigns and Punk stared at each other. A loud, “C.M. Punk!” chant rang out.
Reigns looked at Punk. Punk stared back. Heyman stood on the ring apron and smiled as fans chanted “This is awesome!” Cole said, “Paul Heyman with the coup of the decade.” Punk’s music played to end the show. He said Punk might be the Original Bloodline’s savior.
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 ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnettto 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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