Jordan Huie here, recap time for WWE SmackDown!
King Corbin opens the show, being carted out on a throne by some mooks. Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode are in the ring, applauding him as he enters. He tells the people to pay respects for his king. Says you should be like these brave and wise superstars who pledge loyalty to his kingdom. He wants to talk about the responsibilities it takes to be king and a great leader. And that’s the ability to tell all the loyal subjects the harsh truth even when they don’t want to hear it. He says that Roman Reigns is still a WWE all-time great but he’s just a shell of the man he once was.
Roman refuses to believe that just like most of you. But he proved it! He proved that it is no longer Roman Reigns’ yard, it is his kingdom. And as your king, he guarantees victory for the battle against Raw and NXT. The graphic of Reigns’ team flashes up, Roman, Braun, Baron, Shorty G & Ali. Corbin says he doesn’t like any of his teammates, but there’s two particular weak links and his friends here will right that wrong.
My feed is now screwing up. So I can’t tell you what Dolph says in response but I’m sure he backs him up, promises victory. It’s… still frozen, and only Fox is frozen for me that’s weird. Wonder if that’s a regional thing. Well, sorry about that, but kinda out of my hands…
Well I switched to a livestream, apparently I missed a segment where they brought out a pug mascot. Sounds like it was awful, sad I wasn’t able to recap it. Think we’re on commercial now. Hopefully it comes back soon, I swear Fox and Fox alone just completely died for me.
Quick recap of WWE Backstage with the ‘return’ of CM Punk, he’s working for Fox for now.
Shorty G & Mustafa Ali vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode
Shoulder block from Roode. Arm wringer. Mascot still at ringside. G with a drop toe hold and wrist lock. Floatover, hits the ropes, shoulder block. Leap frog, duck, flying arm drag. Ziggler tags in, Roode with a body slam. Ziggler with an elbow drop. Takes him up, neckbreaker, G shoots him to the ropes, arm drag and arm wringer. Tag to Ali, double foot stomp to the arm. Ziggler escapes to the ropes, kick to the gut. Ali with a running headscissors. Chop.
WWE Headkick out of the corner, roll-through X-Factor for a nearfall. Baron distracts Ali on the apron, Roode with a shoulder block taking Ali off the apron and onto the broadcast table. Roman Reigns’ music hits and out he comes. Commercial break. We come back, Ziggler hits a Fameasser, wants the superkick but Ali hits it first, both laid out. Roman lays out Corbin. Ziggler with a roll-up, G gets the Chaos Theory, Ali with a 450, that’s that.
Winners: Shorty G & Mustafa Ali
Yeah I missed a lot of that due to this situation. Seem to have things resolved though. I mean Fox is still entirely screwed up for me but I got the stream going on my TV so whatever.
Recap of the attack from the Fiend on Daniel Bryan last week leads to Firefly Funhouse.
We see the Universal title on the table as Bray welcomes us. He says “Yannow what? Something seems wrong here.” Lightbulb appears above his head, a magician’s outfit comes up. He waves his wand and turns the Universal Title’s strap from red to blue, just as I anticipated. Talks about how MizTV is up next with Daniel Bryan… and he’ll be watching!
Backstage, Dolph, Roode, Baron and Dog are bickering. Baron takes Dog away as Roode and Ziggler yell that it should be them in the Survivor Series team.
Strowman makes his way out, as Drew Gulak & The B-Team are in the ring. Gulak with a microphone. As Braun gets in the ring, Drew tells him to relax. Says the B-Team are with him because unlike Braun, they actually want to learn. So here is what would happen if he were to replace Braun on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. It’s just a still of Gulak getting his hand raised with “Drew Gulak saves Team SmackDown” as a caption. Drew admits that he lasted longer than he thought would but he has many lessons left to learn. Braun wrenches the hand of Gulak, B-Team swarm, they pummel him three-on-one in the corner until Braun gives Drew a big boot. Takes Bo and Axel apart, big boot to Bo, Running Powerslam to Axel.
He yells, his theme hits. Gulak is upset, watching from the ramp.
Interviewer Girl #2 is with New Day. Big E asks if a pig’s tiddlybit pork? Gets a cheap pop talking about the Eagles beating Kofi’s Patriots to win the Super Bowl last year. Kofi says they don’t HAVE to win without Xavier, because even when he’s not with them physically, he remains in their hearts and they will defend in his honor and be their WWE World Tag Team Champions. Big E starts the opening lines on-screen for once.
The two teams come out for their match but first DANIEL BRYAN IS WALKING! Sami stops him and says for weeks they’ve been extending the offer to them but now that they know Bray Wyatt will be watching him, he thinks he needs to give an answer tonight. After what the Fiend did last week, they need him more than ever. Admits that he wants him with them, Nakamura-san wants him with them, Cesaro wants him with them. Bryan says he’s been thinking about this all week, if you’re a man of your word and you have his back, then why did you run away when the Fiend had him pinned down?
Sami said he knew he’d bring that up. Claims that he thought he was running with him. Bryan says he doesn’t want his excuses, he’s not joining their group. Says he knows who could join them though, Braun Strowman! Walks off, Sami hates the idea, calling themselves poets and artists, whilst Braun is just a big guy and such. Turns to see Braun is staring him down and quickly backpedals.
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The New Day (c) vs. The Revival
Kofi shoots Dash off to the ropes, leap frogs, quick tag from Dawson who sneaks up behind Kofi and gets him with a Stun Gun. Northern Lights Suplex, 2 count. Dawson takes him up top, pursues, wants a superplex. Kofi headbutts him to the mat, missile dropkick. Wilder tags in and holds Kofi down. Kofi lunges for a tag but Wilder counters into a powerslam! 2 count, commercial break. We come back to see Kofi arm dragging Dash, gets him with a back suplex. Dawson tags in though, cuts off Kofi and his side, takes him down with a neckbreaker. Off the top with an elbow, but Kofi rolls out of the way letting him land hard. Simultaneous tags, E rushes in and the overhead Belly-To-Bellies commence, regular one leads to a running splash, but Wilder gets the knees up. Tag to Dawson, attacks the leg, charges him in the corner but eats an STO for a nearfall! Tag to Wilder, E with a shot to both, wants his apron spear to Dawson but Wilder cuts him off, Tornado DDT for a nearfall!
Wilder powers E up onto his shoulders, wants to go over to Dawson but E escapes, clothesline. Simultaneous tags, Dawson rushes in, WWE Headkick from Kofi, springboard dropkick, sends both Revival boys out of the ring, big tope takes them each out! Throws Dawson into the ring, tag to E, Midnight Hour attempted but Wilder gives him a shoulder block out of the air, Dawson escapes, DDT for a nearfall! They take Revival to the floor, Kofi with another dive, but they catch him out of the air! They toss Kofi brutally into the ringpost!!! E charges, but eats a Double Back Suplex into the announce table, brutal tribute to Randy Orton! They throw into the ring, Shatter Machine!!! But at the last second, Kofi with a springboard crossbody takes Dash into Dawson to break it up!
Undisputed Era make their way out now, assaulting both teams!
Winners: No Contest
All four men laid out, Fish and O’Reilly take out Dawson with a Total Elimination before the lower carders emerge to chase them off.
Heavy Machinery stick around for a squash.
Heavy Machinery vs. Two Guys
Otis with a shirt that’s cut-off and too small for him anyway. Double delayed vertical suplex, they tap them together before taking them down. Tucker with a big lariat. Avalanche in the corner. Tag to Otis, pelvic thrusts commence. Caterpillar! Nails it. Compactor to Kip, Otis with a splashing cover.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
Yeah the guy they pinned is named Kip and Corey takes the time to say “Ever seen a tough guy named Kip?” Not sure if it’s a shot at Kip Sabian or Billy Gunn but it’s definitely a shot.
Bayley backstage says that she didn’t do that attack on Shayna on NXT for anyone but herself. She loves crushing people’s dreams, which is why she’ll love doing it to Nikki Cross next. Sasha says she wants to let her lay the SmackDown on her.
Bayley vs. Nikki Cross (Non-title)
Nikki immediately takes Bayley to the floor, hits a baseball slide. Tries to throw her into the ring but Bayley reverses and takes her into the stairs. And now Shayna’s out here already, chasing Bayley out of the ring. Bayley just leaves over the barricade. Acting all smart but then several babyface women from NXT come out of the crowd to take Bayley to ringside. Sasha lays out Shayna in the ring. The NXT women converge into it, just as SmackDown’s women’s division comes in to fight them off! They send them hightailing. Sasha gets on the mic, says if they want the spotlight, she’ll give it to them. Offers an eight-woman tag match! They seem more than ready. Commercial break.
Winner: No Contest
Yeah that match just got completely thrown out.
Sasha Banks, Nikki Cross, Carmella & Dana Brooke vs. Dakota Kai, Rhea Ripley, Mia Yim & Tegan Nox
Dakota attacked Sasha to start us off, tags to Nikki and Mia. Arm wringer, Carmella tags in to get the wristlock instead. Chop to the throat, clubbering blows to the back of the head. Takes her to a neutral corner. Misses a big boot, Carmella moonwalks away. Misses a roundhouse kick, back kick to the stomach. Superkick takes out Tegan from the apron, Yim with a trip, tags to Tegan who stomps Carmella into the corner. Isolation commences, tag to Kai, Tegan and Kai with double teaming, Dakota whips Nox into her for the dropkick. 2 count. Tegan tagged back in, forearms. Grinds her against the middle rope. Snapmare, diving elbow to the back. 2 count.
Carmella with a forearm, avoids a shot, tag to Sasha Banks. Hair whip, poses. Wants a Meteora, Nox dodges it, sunset flip for 2. Sasha escapes a crucifix, knee lift to the face. Tag to Ripley, Sasha backs up as she comes in. Sasha with a slap! Ducks a clothesline, wants a tilt-a-whirl DDT but Ripley powers out into a suplex! Stomps her, poses. Takes her up, Sasha escapes out of a back suplex, but gets deadlifted up into a German attempt, Sasha turns this into nearly a Fujiwara Armbar but Ripley throws her away before she can get it locked in. All eight women get into the ring and yell at each other as we go to commercial.
Ripley in the ring with Nikki as we come back, Ripley knocks everyone else off the apron. Nikki up top, crossbody! She attacks Ripley’s team, everyone but Dakota. Clothesline in the corner, Dakota with a blind tag, in but eats a back suplex. Cover, Tegan in with her Shiniest Wizard! Carmella knocks her down, Eat Dafeet from Mia, Dana Brooke with a handspring clothesline to Ripley, throws Mia to the floor, Ripley with a big shot to Dana but Sasha cuts her off, double knees in the corner, running big boot from Dakota takes her out though! Nikki off the top, Dakota avoids her, Scorpion Kick! Takes her up, hooks for a suplex, but it’s countered into a vicious neckbreaker for the win.
Winners: Team SmackDown
NXT thoroughly defeated this week, so this is a typical WWE invasion at this stage.
The whole women’s roster runs them off afterwards.
Miz out now. Welcomes everyone to MizTV. Recaps Bray Wyatt taking the Universal Title to SmackDown and then brutally laying out his guest Daniel Bryan. He wants to find out why so he brings out Bryan. Miz asks why does he think the Fiend attacked him? Daniel doesn’t answer. Miz acknowledges that the two of them don’t see eye-to-eye, they’ve never liked each other, but says it was a fair question. Asks again. No response. Miz speculates that he sees that Daniel doesn’t know who he is, knows he’s not the guy he was ten years ago. Miz asks who he is these days? Says the Fiend sees that Daniel Bryan is washed up and wants to be the one to end him.
Daniel stands up and says he’ll talk about Bray in a second but the reason he was quiet is because MizTV sucks and has always sucked. But Miz is right, he’s not the Daniel Bryan he was ten years ago, he’s not the leader of the Yes Movement and maybe he is washed up. But there’s one thing that’s the same as he was before and that’s passion. The passion that led him to overcome the odds to get to WrestleMania 30. Miz starts to cut him off, Daniel yells at him to shut his mouth. Nobody understands the passion combined with mental instability. The mental instability that led to him killing the Yes Movement when he could’ve rode it out for years, the mental instability that led to him kicking a man in the balls to win the WWE title, you don’t understand it… but he does. The Fiend is unstable and so he is.
Starts to explain that there’s nobody better to fight a mentally unstable person, but Bray cuts him off with the Firefly Funhouse. Says it’s very rude to speak about another person when they’re not present. Where are your manners? Knows that being confused is a scary feeling. But that’s why he did it! To scare you! Or maybe he did it to remind you what you did. You remember, don’t you? Because Bray really thinks ‘he’ does. Or maybe he just wanted to play! Brings out his favorite new toy, the Universal Title. Says if he wants to come play, all he has to do is say that one magical word. Come on, Daniel… just say it. You know you want to.
Crowd chants “Yes” but Daniel says “No”. Abby says “Yes”. Daniel says “No”. This continues with the other puppets. Bryan keeps saying “No”, says he is not going to go back there and play with the puppets. He sees what he’s trying to do. He wants to manipulate him and the people but he’s not a puppet. Says if you want to fight, let’s fight. But if we’re gonna do it, let’s do it for the Universal Championship. So what do you say?
Bray says yes! Does his own Yes chant and a lot of people do it with him. Funhouse music plays and he cuts away. Miz says “Well, there you have it, it’ll be Daniel Bryan vs. the Fiend for the Universal Championship at Survivor Series.” Bryan’s music plays.
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