Tonight’s episode of SmackDown LIVE opens up from The Manchester Arena in Manchester, England as Tom Phillips welcomes us to the show. He is joined by Corey Graves & Byron Saxton.
We go right to the ring as Greg Hamilton introduces SmackDown General Manager Paige. She makes her way down to the ring as the crowd cheers her. Paige gives a huge shout-out to England and then introduces SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon. He makes his way down to the ring as the fans start booing him for his controversial WWE World Cup Tournament win. The WWE World Cup trophy is shown at ringside. Commentary sends us to a video package with highlights of The WWE World Cup Tournament.
Paige has a mic in hand and insists on a photo op as “CM Punk!” chants go up and then Shane greets the crowd and thanks Paige for her introduction. Shane says that he wants to set the record straight. Shane then says that he is definitely not the best in the world and that the trophy belongs to everybody on SmackDown LIVE, not to him.
Shane then runs down The Survivor Series card as announced and introduces the captain for The Men’s SmackDown’s LIVE team who is none other Daniel Bryan. Bryan makes his way down to the ring then thanks Shane for acknowledging that he is not the best in the world and says that it is an honor to be chosen as captain. The Miz then interrupts as he is limping his way down the ramp as he begins speaking.
The Miz asks Shane if Bryan is really the captain and puts McMahon over as best in the world. The Miz then says that he is not even angry, just disappointed and technically 2/3rds of The WWE World Cup Trophy is his and together they are the best in the world. The Miz then asks about custody and Shane cuts him off and says that he is happy it worked out like this, because if not The Miz would have been fired.
The Miz then claims that there was no official forfeit and besides he has never been so injured that he couldn’t compete, unlike Bryan and if anybody deserves to be captain, it’s him. Shane then admits that based on The Miz’s performance, he’s right. He’s the captain. The Miz then celebrates by getting in Bryan’s face and crowing about it. Shane then says that Bryan is still also captain and they will be co-captains. The Miz then throws a fit while a look of befuddlement plays across Daniel Bryan’s face before he leads the crowd in “Yes!” chants. Bryan then shakes the hands of Paige & Shane McMahon to end the segment.
Commentary hypes up The New Day vs. The Usos for later on tonight with Survivor Series implications as we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and Daniel Bryan & The Miz are in a shouting match backstage right next to Shane McMahon.
The Miz asks what Shane was thinking and Shane says that he wants urgency, not comfort and they make each other uncomfortable and bring out the best in each other. The Miz then says that he can count on him 100% and Shane says that they have to pick their three other members by the end of the night. The Miz then says that he has already got his first pick and it’s none other than Shane McMahon himself. Shane begs off, but Bryan says that he agrees with The Miz. Bryan then says that as much as he hates to say it, it makes sense and nobody has more on the line that Shane McMahon does. Shane accepts and The Miz says that just to show that he is a team player, he will give Daniel Bryan the next pick. Bryan thanks him and says that The Miz is weird before walking off.
Big E does the usual New Day entrance deal and The New Day make their way down to the ring.
The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston ) vs. The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) (The Winners Of This Match Will Become The Team Captains in The 5-on-5 Traditional Men’s Survivor Series Matchup at Survivor Series): Jey starts off with Kofi and drops him first. They run the ropes and Jey catches Kofi in mid-air. Kofi counters that and dropkicks him in the face. Jimmy runs in but gets tossed over the top rope to the floor as Big E becomes the legal man. Kofi and Woods do some comedy with Francesca and the ropes, allowing Big E to level Jimmy Uso while he’s distracted at ringside. The New Day celebrates at ringside as we go back to commercial. Back from the break and Jey has control of Kofi. Kofi nails a double stomp out of nowhere. Big E tags in as does Jimmy. Big E unloads with belly-to-belly suplexes for a pop. Big E runs the ropes for the splash but Jimmy jumps up with a big uppercut to the jaw. Jimmy charges but Big E drives him into the mat for a close 2 count. Big E rallies the crowd now and waits for Uso to recover. Big E scoops Jimmy for the Big Ending but Jey tags in and they nail a double kick to the face. Jey goes to the top but lands on Big E’s knees. Big E with the Big Ending to Jey for a close 2 count as Jimmy breaks the pin. Big E runs the ropes and Kofi tags in but Big E gets dumped through the ropes to the floor as Jey moves. Big E grabs Jimmy on the floor and rams him from a distance into the barrier. Big E scoops him again but Jimmy slides out and sends Big E into the timekeeper’s area. Kofi goes to the top and leaps out, taking down both of The Usos on the floor from up high.
Kofi brings Jey back into the ring for a close 2 count. Kofi blocks a shot and goes for the SOS but Jey kicks out again. Big E and Jimmy are still down outside of the ring. Jey rocks Kofi into the corner. Kofi fights back and goes to the top, nailing a big crossbody for another close 2 count. We go back to commercial. Back from the break and The Usos end up double teaming Kofi. Big E charges in and spears Jey from the apron into the announce table. Jimmy turns around to a Trouble In Paradise from Kofi while on the apron. Kofi brings Jimmy back through the ropes and covers for a close 2 count. Kofi sends Jimmy into the corner and rocks him. Kofi takes Jimmy to the top and climbs up for a superplex. Jimmy resists the superplex and fights back. Jimmy headbutts Kofi down to the mat. Kofi runs back up and goes for the hurricanrana but Jimmy overpowers and turns that into a powerbomb from the second rope. Fans cheer Uso. Jimmy climbs back to the top and nails the big Uso Splash for the pin to win. Winners & The Team Captains For The Men’s SmackDown LIVE Team At Survivor Series: The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
After the match, we see SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar backstage watching as The Usos celebrate while their music plays. We go to replays. The New Day looks on as The Usos stare them down in the ring. Jimmy takes the mic and says that these two teams have been to hell & back several times. The Usos then say that there is no SmackDown Tag Team Division without them and The New Day. The Usos then select The New Day to be the first members for their Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. The two teams embrace as the music starts back up.
The Miz is on the phone backstage talking with someone about late night appearances but nobody wants him, they all want Becky Lynch. He begs off and hangs up when Daniel Bryan rolls up to announce his pick, Rey Mysterio. The Miz then says that there is no doubt Rey’s a future hall of famer, but since coming back he has done nothing. Bryan then says that he has beaten Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton and The Miz himself. The Miz then calls it a fluke and offers a compromise – if Mysterio is impressive against Almas tonight, he will let him on the team. Bryan then says that that is fair and offers the suggestion that for their final pick, they each nominate a wrestler and they will have a match to decide who’s on the team. The Miz likes it but a beat later realizes how weird it is to agree with his long-time rival and leaves to make his pick.
Becky Lynch is shown backstage tearing a Ronda Rousey shirt off to reveal her “I AM THE MAN” t-shirt underneath as we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and commentary hypes up The Women’s Champion vs. Champion Match for Survivor Series and tosses to a recap of Ronda Rousey’s promo from last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch makes her entrance. She takes in the crowd singing her theme and chanting for her for a moment before beginning, calling Ronda out, saying that she told her that she was the last woman on earth to provoke, but who the hell is she to tell the champ anything? Lynch then says that it’s true Rousey holds a title, but she’s not a champion, not yet. Lynch then says that a champion wills herself through adversity, defeat, injury and doubt, but Ronda hasn’t even been tested yet.
Lynch then says that she’s The Man and that is why she is then champion and Rousey isn’t. Lynch then says that winning comes so easy to Ronda that when she meets the Man at Survivor Series, her titanium body will be let down by her weak mind. Lynch then says that she has been ground down so many times that she has lost count. Lynch then says that she has been tested daily, weekly, monthly and here she is, the most resilient person you have ever met.
Lynch then says that last night on RAW, Rousey mocked her for the jobs she has taken to pay her way and get here and no, she wasn’t hand-picked like Rousey, but here she is. Lynch then says that yeah, she wasn’t meant to be the main event, but here she is. Lynch then says that she wasn’t meant to be the talk of the entire industry, but here she is, the champ. The only champ. But Ronda says that she should be happy to have her respect.
Lynch then says that at Survivor Series, it’s not respect Lynch is after, it’s her arm and she doesn’t care if she’s the Baddest Bitch on the Planet, because she’ll make her hers. Lynch goes to leave before turning back and deciding that she wants a challenge, which she opens to the entire locker room.
SAnitY’s music plays in response and Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young and Killian Dain enter. They part and Eric Young points behind them. It is none other than Nikki Cross to answer Becky Lynch’s challenge. Lynch then asks who she is to step up to her challenge, to which Nikki yanks the mic and says that she will play if Lynch wants, which she repeats over and over before shoving the mic back at her. Becky then says that she doesn’t play, she fights and we go to a commercial break before the match can begin.
Back from the commercial break and we are just in time for the bell.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Cross (Non-Title Match): Becky with a takedown and an early pin attempt but that just riles Cross up. Becky still keeps control and works Cross into the corner. Cross just yells at her and tells her to bring it. Fans chant for Cross but Becky dumps her out to the floor. Becky follows but Cross traps her in the ring apron and unloads on her as the referee counts. Cross kicks Becky in the head while she’s down behind the apron. Cross brings it back into the ring but Becky goes back out and suckers her in, dropping her on the floor. Becky rag-dolls Cross into the barrier a few times as the referee counts.
Becky brings Cross back into the ring for a 2 count. More back and forth between the two. Becky cuts momentum off and goes for two quick pin attempts. Becky with more offense and a Bexploder suplex for another 2 count. Cross fights back but Becky kicks her while she’s on her knees. Becky blocks a Sleeper hold and rams Cross back into the ring. Cross tries to fight out of the corner but Becky rocks her. Cross kicks Becky away and clotheslines her for a pop. Cross with more offense and a big clothesline in the corner. Cross with a bulldog now. Cross screams on the apron and goes to the top. Cross hits a crossbody but Becky kicks out just in time. Cross goes for the inverted DDT and nails it for another close pin attempt. Cross unloads with stomps in the corner now. Becky counters and sends Cross arm-first into the bottom rope. Becky turns that into the Dis-Arm-Her for the submission win. Winner: SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch
After the match, Becky celebrates and raises the title as her music plays. Cross recovers and exits the ring as Becky looks on.
We then cut to The Miz taking a selfie backstage when Bryan rolls up to photo-bomb him and also to announce his pick for their qualifier later tonight. His pick is none other than “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy. The Miz runs Jeff’s accolades down and says that he would be a great asset to their team, but is he as good as The Miz’s choice? The Miz then says that as Bryan knows from first-hand experience, The Miz’s guy always comes through in the clutch. Samoa Joe rolls up to reveal that he is The Miz’s guy and bids that the best man win.
Rey Mysterio makes his entrance but we go to a commercial break before his match can begin.
Back from the commercial break and we get a promo from WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura.
He says that he feels sorry for WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins because his life is burning down as one best friend went away and the other turned out to be a lunatic, but at Survivor Series, he will cheer him up and keep him from thinking about his problems with a special gift from Nakamerica, which is a knee to the face.
Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas: The bell rings and they go at it. Rey with the first real offense. Almas looks to turn it around but Rey kicks him and sends him flying with a scissors take-down. Rey counters a shot but Almas drops him hard with a back elbow. Almas works on the ribs as we get a replay of the big elbow. Almas keeps control and hits a flying knee in the corner for a close 2 count. Almas misses in the corner and falls hard out to the floor. Rey comes off the apron for a seated senton but Almas catches him in mid-move and launches him into the barrier. We go to commercial with Rey down at ringside. Back from the break and Almas goes for double knees in the corner but Rey escapes. Rey keeps control and flies for the big senton. Rey also sends Almas flying with the scissors as fans cheer him on. Almas connects with a big boot. Rey rolls through and kicks Almas in the face for another 2 count. Fans chant 619 now. More back and forth with counters now. Almas goes for the superplex but it’s blocked. Almas blocks the sunset flip powerbomb. Almas ends up hitting the double knees in the corner and again, for another close 2 count. Fans chant “this is awesome” now.
Almas catches Rey with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Almas goes to the top for the moonsault but Rey moves. Almas lands on his feet. More back and forth as Almas stops a 619 attempt. Rey sends Almas out to the floor over the top rope but Almas keeps Rey on his shoulders. Rey counters and sends Almas face-first into the apron. Rey sends Almas flying again into the floor. Rey brings it back in the ring to break the 10 count. Rey flies in and sends Almas into the ropes for the 619. Rey nails it and then drops the dime for the pin to win. Winner: Rey Mysterio
After the match, Rey stands tall and celebrates as his music hits. Randy Orton suddenly hits the ring and drops Rey with the RKO outta nowhere. Fans boo Orton. We get a replay of the RKO as the referee checks on Rey.
Daniel Bryan is watching backstage when The Miz rolls up. Bryan asks if The Miz sent Orton out, but he says after what Orton did to him last week he wouldn’t meet with him and of course he watched the match. The Miz then says that before the RKO, Mysterio was impressive, so Rey Mysterio is on the team. The Miz then asks Bryan how he can accuse him of sabotage and suggests that he is upset about Joe choking him out last week. Bryan then says that Jeff is winning tonight and The Miz hopes that if Samoa wins, Bryan can be the bigger man before he leaves snickering.
Commentary promises us a reveal of The SmackDown’s LIVE Women’s Survivor Series team after the commercial break, but first we get a video package on WWE’s partnership with Girl Up.
Back from the commercial break and we get a promo for WrestleMania 35 tickets.
Commentary hypes up the card for the upcoming Survivor Series PPV.
We then get a backstage promo from WWE Champion AJ Styles. He says that life as a WWE Superstar is unpredictable and last week he defended The WWE Championship against multiple opponents in multiple continents. And where did he win that title? Right here in England. And what’s his reward? He gets to wrestle Brock Lesnar, a destroyer unlike any other. Styles then says that last year he gave Lesnar everything he had, from the Pele kick to the Phenomenal Forearm and none of it was enough.
Styles then says that most think it will play out the same way, but like he said, life is unpredictable, so he’s telling us right here, right now, that at Survivor Series, he will beat Brock Lesnar and that’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler, because he is The Phenomenal AJ Styles.
SmackDown LIVE General Manager Paige is in the ring to announce the members of The SmackDown Women’s Survivor Series Team and if the battle royal at Evolution was any indication, things will catch fire. Paige then announces that the team is comprised of Carmella, Naomi, Sonya Deville, Asuka & Charlotte Flair.
Mandy Rose then interrupts the proceedings, coming out in Flair’s place. She says that she is not the blonde we ordered, but obviously she’s an upgrade. Paige then tells her that she is not taking Charlotte’s spot, to which she says she knows, she’s just curious why Sonya got in over her. Mandy then says but don’t get her wrong, she’s really happy for her, it’s just she eliminated her in the battle royal at Evolution, so she’s concerned about Paige’s choices.
She then says The Empress of Tomorrow? Yesterday’s news. Miss Money? Honey, her dance breaks are like her title reign, short and meaningless. Naomi? Is anyone still feeling the glow, like her husband Jimmy? Naomi then decks her and fires off punches until the other women try to separate them. Sonya’s got Mandy and they square off. Deville tries to defuse the situation and Rose eventually backs off and heads back up the ramp.
Commentary hypes up the main event and we go to a commercial break on a hype reel for Mixed Match Challenge before it begins.
Back from the commercial break and we are just in time for the entrances of the main event.
Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe (SmackDown Men’s Survivor Series Team Qualifying Match): The Miz & Daniel Bryan are on commentary in this one. Joe takes control to start and works Hardy into the corner, taking the time to taunt Bryan. Hardy hits an early Whisper In the Wind for a 2 count. Joe avoids a Twist of Fate but Hardy hits the baseball slide through the ropes while Joe is on the floor. Hardy keeps control and brings it back in the ring with more offense. Joe turns it around with a back elbow. We go to commercial. More back and forth after the break. Joe controls for several minutes. Joe sends Hardy to the floor and whips him into the barrier. Hardy counters a whip and comes off the barrier with a clothesline. Hardy with more offense as he brings it back in the ring. Hardy with a 2 count as Miz and Bryan continue to argue on commentary. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate but Joe goes for a Coquina Clutch. Hardy breaks that with a jawbreaker. Hardy nails the Twist of Fate as fans pop. Hardy goes to the top for the Swanton Bomb but Joe gets his knees up. Joe goes into the Coquina Clutch as Hardy starts to fade. Hardy taps out for the finish. Winner: Samoa Joe
After the match, Joe stands tall as the final member of The Men’s Team SmackDown. His music hits as we go to replays. Joe goes to ringside and gets in Bryan’s face, taunting him. Bryan unloads and beats Joe into the ring. Bryan applies the Yes Lock to Joe in the middle of the ring as fans pop. The Miz runs in the ring for the save, telling Bryan he can’t do that. Bryan attacks The Miz as Shane McMahon comes from behind to break it up. Bryan reacts without seeing who it is and he slams Shane to the mat. Shane, Joe and The Miz look on from the mat as Bryan leaves the ring while his music plays. Bryan looks back at the ring and shakes his head as SmackDown goes off the air.
Comments are closed