WWE SmackDown Outcomes: Winners, Stay Grades, Response and Highlights After Fastlane
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Credit score: WWE.com
Undisputed WWE Common Champion Roman Reigns returned to SmackDown Friday evening, his first look since SummerSlam, and wasted little time addressing the latest turmoil inside The Bloodline and the success of John Cena and LA Knight.
What did The Tribal Chief must say to Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman, and the WWE Universe when he took heart stage on Fox?
Discover out with this recap of a particular season premiere episode that additionally included appearances from John Cena and Chief Content material Officer Triple H.
Lineup
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- The return of Roman Reigns
- An look from John Cena
- An look from Triple H
- The Brawling Brutes vs. Fairly Lethal
- Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. Austin Concept and Grayson Waller
Introduced upfront of Friday’s present was:
John Cena Kicked Off The Present
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- Completely huge pop for Cena on his entrance. The dude can go away, come again, and seem each week, and he nonetheless brings unbridled vitality to the present. The proper option to kick off the season premiere.
- After which…Reigns rolls as much as up the star energy and obtain the identical ovation, although his response was blended with boos.
- Heyman’s apparent gratitude for Reigns’ return was wonderful. The gray hair was darkish once more, prompting a Benjamin Button comparability from Corey Graves, and the elation on his face was priceless.
- “I am not right here to problem you tonight, as a result of I have not earned it, however I do know somebody who has…” Cena mentioned. Cue one other monster pop, this one for Knight.
- “You pissing your pants but?” Knight unflinchingly requested. “You are Roman, proper?”
Credit score: WWE.com
WWE wasted little time kicking off the SmackDown Season Premiere, trotting out John Cena, Roman Reigns, The Bloodline, and LA Knight for a phase that teased The Megastar difficult The Tribal Chief for the Undisputed WWE Common Championship and launched the primary occasion for the evening: Knight vs. Solo Sikoa.
The group was red-hot for all concerned and extra importantly, handled Knight as equals to Cena and Reigns.
WWE @WWE
Rather a lot has modified whereas @WWERomanReigns was away…
The Tribal Chief simply came upon whose sport that is. YEAH! 👀#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/E6BB4FveEA
The corporate booked its high two stars of the final 20 years and in a single evening, any questions or issues that the gang was not as invested within the potential babyface challenger as these two have been erased.
Knight vs. Sikoa is a logical subsequent step within the former’s journey to the highest prize on Friday nights and whereas he might not in the end win the gold, the concept that he went from trapped in a male mannequin gimmick to the most well liked, most over man on the roster is extraordinary.
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
Brawling Brutes vs. Fairly Lethal
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- Corey Graves promoting Prince’s “inspirational” return from a shoulder harm suffered by the hands of Holland was nice. Michael Cole mocking Prince for being in a wheelchair whereas affected by an upper-body harm was even higher.
- Cole referring to Fairly Lethal’s gear as a “tremendous crop high” and being applauded by Graves for doing his analysis continued the enjoyable interactions between the commentary group, which additionally included Kevin Patrick.
- Prince feigned a knee harm, which referee Jessika Carr bit on, and Wilson delivered an undetected low cost shot to Holland. Prince scored the rollup for the win.
Credit score: WWE.com
Fairly Lethal’s Elton Prince suffered a shoulder harm throughout a match with Ridge Holland again in July and Friday, he and companion Package Wilson battled Holland and Butch of The Brawling Brutes.
WWE @WWE
IT’S A MIRACLE!!! 🥹🙏
YES BOY! #EltonStrong @EltonPrince_PD @KitWilson_PD #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/gTpRs0htlC
A back-and-forth match that noticed the babyfaces rolling late got here to a sudden halt when Prince faked an injured, Wilson took benefit, and the heels scored the win.
It was an amazing reintroduction for among the finest acts on Friday evening. Wilson and Prince are nice, have been for a very long time, and are good for the primary roster in that they’ll work and perceive the importance of character work.
Good things right here and nice work by the inventive group for enjoying up the historical past with Holland, so long as the performer himself was comfy with it.
Consequence
Fairly Lethal defeated the Brawling Brutes
Grade
C+
High Moments and Takeaways
Zelina Vega vs. Bayley
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- Backstage, Carlito made his first SmackDown look in 14 years and after difficult Bobby Lashley to a match, discovered himself crushed down by The Avenue Income.
- A confrontation between Bayley and Zelina Vega led to a pissed off Adam Pearce making a match between them.
- Elsewhere, Roman Reigns requested Jimmy Uso what he is been doing. After telling Uso to not name any extra audibles, he instructed him to repair The Bloodline’s greatest drawback: Jey and Cody Rhodes as tag group champs.
- “It actually would have made your day to see Bayley crushed by a Meteora, would not it, Cole?” Graves requested. There’s an apparent wink and nudge there.
Credit score: WWE.com
Do not look now, however Bayley received a match.
After what felt like an eternity of defeats, The Function Mannequin and chief of Injury CTRL defeated Zelina Vega Friday evening, scoring a win in a match she actually wanted to have. After weeks of losses to the likes of Shotzi, Asuka, and Charlotte Aptitude, she lastly earned a victory and it got here in a enjoyable little dash of a match.
Aptitude interjected after the bell, saving Vega from a beatdown by the hands of the victor and WWE Ladies’s Champion Iyo Sky, seemingly pointing to a tag group match if reserving traits in these components are any indication.
WWE @WWE
.@MsCharlotteWWE 🤝 @ZelinaVegaWWE #DamageCTRL ought to preserve their head on a swivel. 👀#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/unjdquckhP
The Queen continues to be very a lot within the hunt for Sky’s title and primarily based on how she will be able to rightly stake a declare to a title alternative primarily based on the controversial conclusion of final week’s title bout, her involvement right here made sense.
Consequence
Bayley defeated Vega
Grade
C+
High Moments and Takeaways
Triple H’s Massive Announcement
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- “He has achieved an unbelievable job doing a really thankless job,” the COO instructed Pearce.
- “As of now, you’re the new Normal Supervisor of Uncooked.”
- “I all the time thought they have been pumping in that noise. I by no means realized how loud it truly is if you’re out right here,” Triple H mentioned, making mild of stories that WWE pumps in crowd warmth to drown out Mysterio.
- Aldis sported a blue swimsuit, a pleasant contact.
- Owens instantly dropping Mysterio with a stunner was a pleasant contact and solely enhanced the followers’ response to the previous Common champion.
Credit score: WWE.com
Triple H revealed Friday that he not solely granted the hard-working Adam Pearce a promotion to that of Uncooked Normal Supervisor, however he had employed a person to take over SmackDown: former Influence Wrestling and NWA world champion Nick Aldis.
As if that was not newsworthy sufficient, Kevin Owens was revealed because the Famous person the blue model obtained in alternate for Jey Uso and The Prizefighter wasted little time establishing his presence, dropping NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio with a stunner and placing an finish to his whining and complaining.
This was a noteworthy phase that would form months of SmackDown programming.
Owens is an enormous get, even when it looks like he’s shuffled forwards and backwards between reveals, and Aldis might clean up the authority determine function on Friday nights.
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. Grayson Waller and Austin Concept
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- Aldis’ first little bit of enterprise: announce Charlotte Aptitude vs. Iyo Sky for the WWE Ladies’s Championship on subsequent week’s present. As The Queen exited his workplace, although, she got here face-to-face with Jade Cargill in a second that had followers salivating at the potential for a match between them.
- Does anybody discover it in any respect foolish, even taking into account the tag title stipulation, that we simply came upon SmackDown obtained Kevin Owens in return for Jey Uso, just for Uso to return out within the very subsequent phase to defend his tag titles on the present he was traded away from?
- “You are by no means allowed to headbutt a Samoan. That is a legislation and he did it anyway,” Graves mentioned of Waller, who tried the unthinkable with Uso.
- The pop for Rhodes’ sizzling tag is unbelievable.
Credit score: WWE.com
Earlier Friday, Cody Rhodes issued an open problem for an Undisputed WWE Tag Crew Championship Match.
Cody Rhodes @CodyRhodes
This week, an amazing RAW, a historic NXT…And no higher technique to shut out the week than with a go to for the season premiere of #SmackDown
Open problem…
What say you @WWEUsos ?
Grayson Waller and Austin Concept accepted and, regardless of a robust effort, have been unable to wrest the gold away from The American Nightmare and Jey Uso.
The match was sturdy, had nice warmth, and featured among the finest work we’ve seen out of Waller on the primary roster so far. Concept is nice, an expert wrestler superior nicely past his years, and each guys went toe-to-toe with two of the highest stars within the firm and by no means regarded misplaced.
As essential because the match was the face-to-face confrontation between Rhodes and Roman Reigns that occurred afterward.
WWE on FOX @WWEonFOX
TENSION! 😤#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/5heDTLXnKs
It advised that there are particular plans for these two to run it again once more, with Rhodes having the chance to complete his story and dethrone The Tribal Chief. It additionally introduced Rhodes face-to-face with the one huge failure of his WWE run so far. It was a reminder, whether or not he wanted it or not, that there’s one huge hurdle he nonetheless has to eclipse.
Nick Aldis broke it up tonight however there’ll nearly definitely be a time when the 2 do enterprise in a rematch of their WrestleMania 39 basic.
Consequence
Rhodes and Uso defeated Concept and Waller to retain the titles
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
WWE @WWE
DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN??? 👀🔥@MsCharlotteWWE @Jade_Cargill #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/zvCuunaxro
LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa
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- Knight was clearly calling parts of the match, one thing he shall be anticipated to do increasingly more as he continues his climb to the highest of WWE.
- Sikoa and Knight arrange an amazing powerslam spot all through the match, with the babyface repeatedly making an attempt to slam his larger opponent however failing to. Going again to it within the comeback portion of the match was an amazing determination.
- Reigns leveled Knight and stood tall to shut out the present. Even with Knight writhing at his toes, it was the correct name in that it put The Megastar in that principal occasion hunt.
Credit score: WWE.com
LA Knight continued his stand up the ranks in WWE, defeating Solo Sikoa in Friday’s principal occasion.
The match was completely acceptable professional wrestling, with an amazing end that noticed Jimmy Uso as soon as once more flub up, resulting in a uncommon pinfall loss for The Bloodline’s enforcer.
The involvement of Cena suggests he’ll stay on this storyline, an asset to Knight as he appears to be like to firmly cement his standing as a top-tier star in WWE, and doubtlessly units up yet another principal occasion between him and Roman Reigns, relying on what the timing of Knight’s title alternative appears to be like like.
Talking of Reigns, he laid out Knight to shut the present and add additional credence to the concept that The Megastar is a principal occasion, championship-worthy competitor.
Consequence
Knight defeated Sikoa
Grade
B
High Moments and Takeaways
General Grade
8 of 8
SmackDown was billed as a season premiere episode and it didn’t disappoint, introducing new feuds, stars, and rivalries that can dominate the model for the foreseeable future.
The arrival of Nick Aldis shall be attention-grabbing to see and the historical past he has with Cody Rhodes might very nicely be the twist the inventive group must carry The American Nightmare and Roman Reigns again collectively.
Kevin Owens returning to SmackDown is a superb transfer…if there’s a reliable inventive plan for him. In any other case, he’s basically filling the Sheamus function because the grizzled veteran who can float out and in of applications with out truly being given a lot to do.
On an evening the place a lot was anticipated, WWE delivered and created buzz for the subsequent few months of tv. The way it capitalizes on will probably be the actual query.
Grade: A
