WWE SmackDown Outcomes: Winners, Reside Grades, Response and Highlights From Oct. 27
0 of 9
Credit score: WWE.com
Forward of their titanic conflict for the Undisputed WWE Common Championship on Saturday, November 4 at Crown Jewel, Roman Reigns and LA Knight put pen to paper Friday on SmackDown to make their premium stay occasion headliner official.
What went down when The Tribal Chief and The Megastar shared the identical ring and what repercussions wouldn’t it have on the construct to the annual spectacular?
Discover out now with this recap of a present that additionally featured the primary look from Bianca Belair following her return final week, in addition to John Cena’s ideas forward of his Crown Jewel match in opposition to Solo Sikoa.
Match Card
1 of 9
- Roman Reigns, LA Knight Crown Jewel contract signing
- John Cena promo
- Bianca Belair promo
Introduced upfront for Friday’s present had been:
Roman Reigns and LA Knight Signal the Contract for Crown Jewel
2 of 9
- Knight interrupted Reigns’ entrance, hit the ring, stole his place on the head of the desk, and minimize Aldis off. This was top-dog stuff from the No. 1 contender, who seems to be each bit like The Megastar he has original himself for the final yr.
- “Have you ever ever had a championship match?” Reigns arrogantly requested Knight, eluding to his lack of big-match appearances in WWE.
- “When you failed time after time, whilst you had been busy with suckering succotash, I have been out right here since day one telling everybody whose sport it’s!” Knight stated.
Credit score: WWE.com
Any misguided doubt which will have existed about LA Knight’s star was erased Friday evening on the high of SmackDown when he interrupted Roman Reigns’ entrance, hit the ring, and proceeded to steal the highlight.
He was cool, collected, and held the followers within the palm of his hand as he proclaimed the sport his personal and vowed to take the Undisputed WWE Common Championship from The Tribal Chief at Crown Jewel.
His confidence unwavering, he seemed every little thing the megastar he has claimed to be for the final yr and, even perhaps better for his future prospects, seemed like Reigns’ equal. There was by no means any doubt that the man cooking the heel on the mic didn’t stand an opportunity at dethroning him in Saudi Arabia.
Does he? No, however Knight has handed each take a look at so far and really simply may believably be champion if Triple H and WWE Artistic determined they needed to shift the route of issues on the high of the cardboard.
That could be a testomony to every little thing Knight has carried out over the past six months to construct momentum and stay related.
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
Carlito and Santos Escobar vs. The Road Earnings
3 of 9
- Ford and Dawkins entered to new theme music, sans crimson Solo cups, as they continued their shift in character and tone.
- That is Carlito’s first match on SmackDown since April 7, 2009, when he partnered with Primo Colon to battle Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.
- Logan Paul jumped Rey Mysterio backstage, the video drawing the eye of the babyfaces. Escobar ordered Carlito to the again, leaving him to go it alone.
Credit score: WWE.com
The Road Earnings continued to construct momentum beneath the steering of Bobby Lashley, defeating Carlito and Santos Escobar in a match marred not directly by Logan Paul.
As United States Champion Rey Mysterio watched his LWO teammates backstage, Paul sucker punched him, drawing the eye of Carlito and Escobar. With the previous being despatched to examine on the Corridor of Famer, Escobar in the end fell prey to the Revelation as Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins earned one other key victory of their improvement as heels.
The match was stable and laid the groundwork for Escobar to grow to be extra pissed off and disenfranchised together with his relationship together with his LWO teammates, making this a big match past what went down between the ropes.
End result
The Road Earnings defeated Carlito and Escobar
Grade
B
High Moments and Takeaways
Shotzi vs. Chelsea Inexperienced
4 of 9
- Graves revealed that Shotzi’s ring gear was created from an “genuine straight jacket,” which could be very cool and in step with her character.
- Shotzi capitalized on the vanity of Inexperienced and scored the pin with a crucifix rollup.
Credit score: WWE.com
After a backstage confrontation with Ladies’s Tag Workforce Champions Chelsea Inexperienced and Piper Niven, Shotzi battled Inexperienced in singles competitors, as ordered by normal supervisor Nick Aldis.
Regardless of a sport effort from Inexperienced, it was Shotzi who took benefit of Inexperienced’s overconfidence and pinned her for an upset victory.
The match was a welcome change of tempo in that it didn’t characteristic Charlotte Aptitude, Asuka, or Harm CTRL, or any combine therein. Shotzi doesn’t get sufficient constant tv time and there’s no such factor as sufficient time for a persona as massive as Inexperienced’s.
Placing them on the present and letting them construct up fairness with followers is precisely what WWE Artistic needs to be doing.
With that stated, the very fact that there have been no stakes or any actual rhyme or purpose for this to happen exterior of the prospect backstage encounter means it was arduous to get enthusiastic about, or sit up for, a lot past the truth that each ladies had been concerned in a TV match.
End result
Shotzi defeated Inexperienced
Grade
C
High Moments and Takeaways
John Cena Promo on Solo Sikoa
5 of 9
- “For the primary time in 20 years, I really feel I am in jeopardy of shedding your assist. For the primary time in 20 years, I really feel I am in jeopardy of shedding your respect,” Cena stated, his 2,000-plus day streak of not successful a singles match clearly affecting him.
- “However what if I do not?” Cena responded to chants of “you continue to obtained it.”
- “There is just one factor left to do at Crown Jewel: win.”
- “Thanks for 21 years of promoting out the home based mostly on the identify ‘John Cena,’” Heyman stated earlier than retelling the story of constructing Cena his first-round draft choose 20 years in the past when he was working SmackDown.
- “You’re the best of all time when it comes to communication in WWE historical past,” Heyman hyped Cena up, even placing him forward of himself.
Credit score: WWE.com
John Cena may have gotten by on being an inspirational talker and speaking to followers like solely he can, asserted Paul Heyman Friday evening. As a substitute, he went forward and pissed off The Bloodline and now, at Crown Jewel, he can pay for it when he battles Solo Sikoa.
The phase began with Cena questioning himself, solely to feed off of the love and assist of WWE followers. The arrival of Heyman, not-so-subtle threats, and a beatdown from The Enforcer of The Bloodline ensured his rejuvenation was short-lived as Sikoa left him mendacity to shut issues out.
This was wonderful promo work from Heyman, with some nice character work from Cena and a top quality beatdown by Sikoa to earn himself some warmth forward of subsequent Saturday afternoon’s Crown Jewel occasion.
Grade
B+
High Moments and Takeaways
Dragon Lee vs. Cedric Alexander
6 of 9
- The pre-match video bundle reminding followers of who Alexander is and what he’s able to was a pleasant contact.
- Alexander vs. Lee throughout two segments, with permission to let unfastened? That is undoubtedly Triple H’s present.
Credit score: WWE.com
Dragon Lee continued his latest push on Friday nights with a victory over Cedric Alexander that went two segments of tv time, allowed the previous WWE Cruiserweight champion to remind followers of his expertise, and introduced some workrate to the present.
Alexander was highlighted considerably right here, to the purpose that the thought of him benefiting from this match greater than Lee did isn’t all that laughable.
Lee is the man the corporate is seeking to highlight and went over right here with a pinfall victory. Understandably so. Whether or not Alexander can construct momentum based mostly on this match and his efficiency inside, although, would be the actual query to keep watch over transferring ahead.
End result
Lee pinned Alexander
Grade
B+
High Moments and Takeaways
Bianca Belair Promo
7 of 9
- Belair admitted she had just one factor on her thoughts whereas she was gone: the beatdown by Harm CTRL that left her sidelined shortly after SummerSlam.
- “This time, I simply couldn’t let it go and for the primary time in my life, I used to be consumed by vengeance,” Belair stated.
Credit score: WWE.com
Bianca Belair has made her intentions clear: take out Harm CTRL and regain her WWE Ladies’s Championship.
The EST revealed Friday that she labored with normal supervisor Nick Aldis to place collectively a title match for Crown Jewel between her and Iyo Sky. From there, she revealed that she is going to begin her journey to revenge subsequent week by battling Bayley.
It was a brief, candy promo that clearly outlined Belair’s motivations and gave followers an concept of what’s to return.
If solely all wrestling promos might be this efficient.
Grade
A
High Moments and Takeaways
LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso
8 of 9
- “Knight is enjoying with home cash. He was not even anticipated to be on this scenario,” Cole stated of the babyface.
- Chants of “Jey is best” infuriated Jimmy.
- Michael Cole put over the concept that Knight has by no means been on this stage earlier than and {that a} showdown with Reigns might be a protracted, grueling match the likes of which he has but to face in WWE.
- Knight kicked out of the Uso Splash, an enormous nod to his recognition and place on the cardboard. That doesn’t get booked except administration firmly believes in Knight.
Credit score: WWE.com
LA Knight topped off a banner evening with a victory over Jimmy Uso in a extremely aggressive match that additional established the concept that The Megastar is a really actual risk to dethrone Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel.
If that was not sufficient, the truth that he dropped The Tribal Chief with Blunt Drive Trauma and stood over him, speaking smack to shut out the present ought to have been.
This was the LA Knight present and it was unbelievable.
Forward of the largest match of his profession, WWE went all in on Knight and the veteran performer answered the decision, shining brighter than some other Celebrity on a broadcast that he wanted to.
Nights like this may make it that rather more tough for WWE when he doesn’t beat Reigns and attracts hundreds of tweets and different social media posts denouncing a loss that ought to have been a championship win.
End result
Knight defeated Uso
Grade
B+
High Moments and Takeways
General Grade
9 of 9
On an evening when WWE wanted to proceed to constructing to Crown Jewel on November 4, it succeeded massive time.
The work of Knight apart, this present highlighted the principle occasion, added warmth to John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa, launched Belair’s problem to Iyo Sky for a title bout, and added the newest between Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul.
It was a present that surrounded these key segments with a match between Dragon Lee and Cedric Alexander, gave us a giant win for Shotzi simply days earlier than Halloween Havoc, and continued the sluggish construct towards a divorce between the LWO and Santos Escobar.
This present rocked HARD.
Grade: A
