Smackdown – 10.09.26

If you’ve got some time, we have some words. AAA | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Main Event | Impact

Last week on Smackdown: The final two entrants for the Money In The Bank matches were determined, and Blake Monroe actually wrestled in a ring!

Smackdown is LIVE and in LIVING COLOR from The Cajundome in Lafayette, LA and in your living rooms on the USA/Netflix airwaves. The announcers for tonight’s show are Michael Cole and Corey Graves on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on news and interviews. Tonight is the go-home show for this weekend’s BIG Money in the Bank PLE, and there’s a lot happening around that card. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Some folks are showing up to work, and they include Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and Tatum Paxley. Here’s all six male participants for tomorrow evening’s MITB match, Je’von Evans, CM Punk, Penta, WWE Men’s World Tag Team Champion Bron Breakker, Kevin Owens, and WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams with his pal, Lil Yachty. Here’s the six women participants for their MITB match, Roxanne Perez, Tiffany Stratton, WWE Women’s US Champion Jacy Jayne, Lola Vice, Lash Legend, and Sol Ruca.

Here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis being approached by that punk-ass Raw GM Adam Pearce who has questions about Aldis booking his Raw talent in a match tonight. Aldis says he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to book the match with so much talent under one roof, and Pearce responds by saying he would have enjoyed a heads up about the whole thing. Here’s Trick Williams in to say he’s got some unfinished business with the Gingerbread Man tonight, and here’s Bron Breakker in to complain about being brought to Lafayette for no good reason. Trick doesn’t enjoy that bit of conversation and tells Breakker to mind his business while grown folk are talking. Yachty chimes in and Breakker decides that Trick might want to fight right now. Pearce makes Trick vs Breakker for the main event tonight, and Aldis says “It’s official” while openly mocking that idiot Raw goober GM.

Here’s CM Punk out to a fairly huge pop, and he’s in street clothes and Jordans, so I’m not expecting fisticuffs. There’s a bunch of ladders in the ring, along with the MITB briefcases suspended above them. Cole reminds us that Punk is the only person in WWE history to win back-to-back briefcases. Punk is happy to be in Lafayette, and he’s excited for the MITB match tomorrow. Punk knows people are wondering why he’s in this match, but he’s done this before and now he’s “middle-aged and crazy” which means it’s time to make history by winning it a third time. Punk says it won’t be a cakewalk because the people in the match with him are all better than the current champion. (Sami catching strays!) Punk puts over his competition by name, and then mentions Kevin Owens is in the match.

Here’s Kevin Owens out as Punk continues to insult Owens from atop a ladder. Owens thanks “Phil” for his incredible introduction, and says tomorrow is going to be his night. Owens also mentions the priority of making sure Punk doesn’t win the briefcase because no one ever needs to see him as champion tomorrow night. Punk says Owens is making an excuse for when he doesn’t win, and says this is Owens MO. Punk says this is why Owens, standing in the ring, will always be below him. Owens calls Punk a “delusional prick” and ascends another ladder to be eye-to-eye with Punk, and then says he sees a man who isn’t taking the contract and won’t be leaving on two feet. Owens says he’s going to beat that bitch Sami Zayn….

Here’s WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Sami Zayn out and he climbs the third ladder in the ring. “Sami sucks!” rings throughout the building, and Zayn gets a lot of boos when he tries to talk. Zayn says he’s the champion but somehow he’s on the short ladder, while the two guys struggling to win his title are placed higher than him. Punk reminds him it’s not the size of the ladder that matters, it’s what you do with it. Punk vows to wrap a ladder around Owens fat head and then he’s coming for the title. Zayn is pissed about all the disrespect and people just assuming they’ve got the title locked up if they win the briefcase. Zayn says he’s a survivor and will find a way like he did against Owens and Punk prior to this. Zayn says he sees the forest for the trees and thinks Owens and Punk are exactly alike, but Owens at least admits how much he hates Punk while Punk is holding back. Zayn says neither one of them are going to get the briefcase tomorrow night because they aren’t in the right headspace to win it. Zayn promises to still be the Undisputed champion no matter what, and then exits. Punk and Owens continue to chatter at each other off-mic, and we go to commercials.

WWE Women’s US Champion Jacy Jayne, Lash Legend, and Tiffany Stratton vs Roxanne Perez, Lola Vice, and Sol Ruca

This is a “team Smackdown” vs “team Raw” match between the women MITB competitors and is purely for content purposes, so I wouldn’t expect a five-star outing here. I give Jacy Jayne credit for literally always dancing to Lola Vice’s entrance music, because it is catchy as hell and she’s done it since they were enemies in NXT. Your referee is Charles Robinson.

It’s Ruca and Jayne to start and Jayne trucks Ruca down before Ruca fires off an X-Factor. Perez had made a blind tag as Ruca ran the ropes so she flies in to push Ruca off the cover before getting two. Perez fires Jayne down by her hair before Jayne reverses and slams Perez head-first into a turnbuckle. Legend tags in and Perez decides it’s a good idea to slap Legend. Perez tries to make a tag and Ruca and Vice bail leaving Perez running away from Legend as fast as possible. Legend mashes Perez with a right hand and covers her for two. Vice tags in and Legend tosses her into a corner before missing a charge. Vice pounds away and mashes Legend with a reverse thrust that sends Legend to the floor. Legend gets caught by a rana and everyone comes out to hit moves on the floor, before it ends with a Ruca moonsault as we go to commercials.

Ruca is being manhandled by Jayne when the show returns. Jayne blasts Vice off the apron and then misses a cannonball as Ruca slid out of the way. Perez refuses to tag Ruca and Jayne hammers Ruca with a neckbreaker that gets two. Ruca fights her way out of the heel corner and tags in Vice. Vice smashes all the heels and sets Jayne up in a corner. Legend charges in for a beatdown and Vice hits Hip Attacks on both Legend and Jayne. Perez makes an unwelcome tag and she and Vice start squaring up. Stratton tags in briefly to run wild, and Legend cuts that off with an unwelcome tag. Perez slaps on a guillotine before trying for Pop Rox on Legend. Ruca tags in and tries a cross-body, but Legend catches her. Jayne breaks up a cover with a knee, and everyone comes in for a finisher parade. Ruca hits a Sol Snatcher on Vice inadvertently and walks right into a Lash Extension that wins things for the Smackdown team.

Everyone was working at about 3/4 speed here and while no one slacked, it was what I expected it would be. No major flaws other than the obvious lack of chemistry between the teams. Like I said at the outset, it was content and the Smackdown team won, so yay US. 2*

Winners – Jayne/Legend/Stratton (Lash Extension on Vice)

Post-match sees Legend kick the crap out of Jayne and Stratton while celebrating with them. WELL THAT’S PRETTY RUDE LASH

Here’s Cathy Kelley with WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green. Green wants to remain positive and wants a “Tiffy win” prior to getting some Bourbon St daquiris, and here’s Nikki Bella in for more shit-talking. Green reminds Bella she’s not a champion and Bella fires back some more stank-mouth about Green’s husband wanting an upgrade. As that is mercifully wrapping up, there’s a big noise and it turns out to be Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin beating the crap out of Charlotte Flair. Cargill fires Flair into a production cart and a bunch of referees come out to break it up. Flair is clutching her shoulder as we go to commercials.

Here’s Charlotte Flair holding an ice bag to her shoulder as Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley storm up to find out what happened. Aldis has had Cargill and her crew ejected, but Aldis refuses to allow Flair to wrestle. Flair wants Bliss to take her place, and Bliss agrees. Aldis bans everyone from ringside including Jacy Jayne, and the match appears to be on.

WWE Men’s Tag Team Champions The MFT’s (Talla and Tama Tonga) vs The War Raiders (Erik and Ivar)

This is non-title, with Cole mentioning that the Raiders are looking to earn a future shot. (Randomly, there’s confetti falling from the ceiling during the ring intros and I’m wondering what the hell it would be up there for.) Your referee is Dan Engler.

Talla starts with Erik and Talla takes control with a lariat. Tama tags in for some clubbering and Talla tags back in. Ivar tags in and everyone starts slugging it out. The fight goes out to the floor and Ivar mashes the Tongans with a cannonball from the apron. We go to commercials.

Tama and Erik are crawling towards their corners as the show returns. They stop to throw some hands and Ivar ends up tagging in to run wild for a bit. Ivar smashes Tama with a cross-body and blasts him with a spin kick. Ivar ascends and Talla flies over to hold him off for a bit. Tama uses that time to jump up and crotch Ivar before dropping him with a neckbreaker that gets two. Here’s BAKUSAI out to distract Tama, who then runs right into an Ivar standing senton. Erik tags in and crushes a charging Talla with a knee lift before walking into a facebreaker from Tama. Tama mashes Ivar with a dropkick and KYOKI jumps up on the apron to catch a right from Tama. Tama turns into the Viking Experience and Tama rolls over to the apron. As Engler is dealing with BAKUSAI on the opposite side of the ring, Haku blasts Erik in the neck with his walking stick. Talla crushes Ivar with a lariat and then he and Tama go high-low with My Brothers Keeper which ends things.

For a television match with negligible stakes, they sure overbooked the shit out of this. Hey look, I’m glad that there’s a semblance of a tag division developing again, and I like all three of these teams well enough. It’s just at some point someone’s going to have to get something over to the point of getting a tag title match on a PLE because as of now, the tag titles are strictly television fodder. 2.5*

Winners – MFT’s (My Brother’s Keeper to Ivar)

Post-match sees BAKUSAI fly in for some fisticuffs. Nakamura and KYOKI send Talla to the floor with a lariat and then a pissed Ivar comes into start fighting with BAKUSAI. Nakamura blasts Ivar down with a kick and he and KYOKI make faces at everyone.

Here’s Danhausen running his EVIL DETECTOR over Adam Pearce before Nick Aldis and Finn Balor in to say he wants a match with GUNTHER tonight. Balor tests as EVIL and a disgusted Pearce leaves to find a cocktail. GUNTHER has already requested a match, but he wants it with Danhausen. Balor mentions all the retirements that GUNTHER has been responsible for, and Danhausen leaves to prepare.

John Cena presented a title belt to Jimmy Fallon during his 17th Tonight Show appearance. That’s so nice! Here’s a look back at last week’s MITB qualifier that saw some interference from Randall Keith Orton.

EARLIER TODAY Miz and Kit Wilson accosted Nick Aldis outside before Aldis leaves to tell Randy Orton that he crossed a line last week. Orton says he’ll make things easy for Aldis, and leaves while mentioning that the actual problem is Cody Rhodes.

Here’s Miz and Kit Wilson out to say that they’re going to take over the entire show. Miz wants a birthday party for his 20th anniversary in WWE and Wilson says everyone in Lafayette is TOXIC. Wilson wants everyone to sing Happy Birthday to Miz, and here’s Cody Rhodes out to a big pop. Miz wants “Kingdom” cut off, and it is as Miz continues to lose it. Miz tells Rhodes to stay out of his ring, and Rhodes charges in immediately to send Wilson packing before dropping Miz with a CrossRhodes. Rhodes grabs a mic and asks Lafayette what they want to talk about. Here’s Nick Aldis out as a limping Miz and Wilson stride past him. Aldis tells Rhodes that him and Orton fighting all over the place does nothing for anyone. Aldis tells Rhodes it’s BUSINESS TIME and we’re going to have a match instead of a fight. Aldis wants Rhodes to come to his office to discuss details and Rhodes says wants things to happen in his office (the ring). Rhodes talks about his history with Orton and says Liberty cried when she saw Rhodes after Wrestlemania. Rhodes says he takes that with him everywhere he goes and he will until Orton is gone. Rhodes says he wants a favor from Aldis to get Orton face to face with him. Rhodes says it’s about what he’s going to do to Orton, and calls him a “fragile bitch”.

Cole announces that Roman Reigns vs LA Knight will kick off the show tomorrow night! No cash-in happening there, thank goodness. Cole and Graves run down the rest of the card.

Here’s Cathy Kelley with Damian Priest who is pissed about wasting his time with R-Truth. Priest says if everyone is too stubborn to understand why he did what he did, he’s not going to keep explaining it. Priest wanders away from Kelley to where Nathan Frazer and Axiom are chatting, and Frazer mentions Truth. A very agitated Priest gets Frazer to admit that he was chatting about Truth and Frazer thinks Priest should apologize. Priest starts beating the crap out of both of them and fake-apologizes, and here’s R-Truth in to start fighting with Priest. That gets broken up fairly quickly.

Danhausen makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

GUNTHER vs Danhausen

Your referee is Darryl Sharma. Prior to the bell sounding GUNTHER blasts Danhausen with a high boot before he can curse him, and then follows with a powerbomb. GUNTHER blasts Danhausen with a chopand then drags him around by the hair. There’s another powerbomb and some more chopping before GUNTEHR lays Danhausen over a top turnbuckle for chops. Here’s Finn Balor out to attack GUNTHER. Balor drops GUNTHER with an elbow and then nails him with a sling blade on the floor. GUNTHER bails through the WWE UNIVERSE and Balor goes to check on Danhausen. GUNTHER has returned and he yanks Balor out to fire him into the barricade. Balor fights GUNTHER off again and stomps away at him. GUNTHER drops Balor on the apron and rams him hard into a ring post. GUNTHER yanks Balor up for a side slam on the apron before powerbombing Balor on the announce table. A group of referees and suits run out to stop it. GUNTHER stalks to the back to a chorus of boos.

No match here, but I guess this was effective enough.

Here’s Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano being accosted by a manic Sami Zayn. Gargano and LeRae want to know where Zayn was last week and Zayn tells them that Aldis said there’d be major consequences if he interfered. Gargano seems to accept this and they talk about being survivors. Bron Breakker looms up behind Zayn and says he’ll see him soon.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Fatal Influence (Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley) make their entrance as we go to commercials.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Fatal Influence (Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley) (C) vs Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss

Your referee is Daffanie LaShaunn. Reid starts with Bliss, and Henley’s distraction allows Reid to take control. Bliss fires up and dumps Reid but Henley nails Bliss with a rolling tackle that gets two. Henley gets tossed over by Bliss and Paxley tags in for some clubbering on Fatal. Paxley nails Henley with a German and runs right into a Henley elbow. Reid tags in and dumps Paxley to the apron. Henley and Reid drop Paxley back to the floor and we go to commercials.

Henley is bullying Paxley when the show returns, and Reid tags in. Reid and Henley can’t prevent Paxley from making a tag and Bliss comes in to smash Reid around. Bliss just murders Reid and drops her with a short DDT before crushing Reid with a rolling blockbuster that gets two. Reid fires up and Henley prevents a Sister Abigail attempt. Paxley breaks up a cover at two and Reid drops her with a left. Reid gets tripped up by Bliss and Paxley whomps her with a right. Paxley tags in and misses her dive. Henley nails Paxley with a double knee and rolls her up, but LaShaunn catches Reid trying to cheat. Bliss stalks over and nails Reid with Sister Abigail on the floor. Paxley yanks Henley into Cemetery Drive and we have new women’s tag team champions!

These titles are fun to have around for television title changes, I’ll say that much. It pops the live crowd to see a title change no matter what it is, makes the night feel special, so good for Tater and Bliss. Fatal will be fine, they always seem to be, and we’ll see where it goes for them from here. This felt a bit truncated to me, and I think there’s a way better match between the four of them without the time constraints but we are where we are. Still, match of the night so far for me. 3*

Winners AND NEW WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss (Cemetery Drive on Henley)

Trick Williams and Lil Yachty are heading out for the main event, and we go to commercials.

WWE Men’s World Tag Team Champion Bron Breakker vs WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams

As mentioned, Lil Yachty is out with Trick. (As Bundini Brown-types go, Yachty is pretty good at it, all things considered.) Your referee is Dan Engler.

Trick pops Breakker with a right and nails him with a huge dropkick to start things off. Trick pushes Breakker to the floor but Breakker fires up to smash Trick face-first on to the announce table. Breakker leaps off the apron to spear Trick over the announce table and we go to commercials.

Breakker is working Trick over from behind when the show returns. Trick fires up and they slug it out briefly before Breakker cuts it off with a German. Breakker runs into a high boot and they absolutely destroy each other with simultaneous lariats. They slug it out again and Trick fires up with a leg lariat and a front facebreaker. Trick smashes Breakker with some boots to the chest and then yanks him up. Breakker slips off but Trick nails him with a leg lariat. Breakker has had enough of that and drops Trick onto a double knee that gets two. Breakker cuts off a spear attempt and here’s Austin Theory and Logan Paul out to start smashing Trick around. Here’s Je’von Evans out to beat up Theory, but Maxxine Dupri distracts him long enough to allow Theory to come in from behind. Here’s Penta out to even things up before Bronson Reed shows up to stomp on a bunch of people. Breakker spears Trick and Reed nails Trick with a Tsunami. The credits roll as the Vision continues the assault, and we’re out.

I’m not going to rate that last match because of the cluster-mess finish, but I think Bron and Trick could have a good match in their sleep, for the record. This was about what you’d expect for a go-home show, and the women’s tag title change was a nice attempt to have something noteworthy actually happen in-ring rather than on-mic, if you get my drift. Basically a two hour long commercial for MITB, but that’s what a go-home should be and we’ll see how tomorrow goes.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy MITB!