WWE Smackdown Live – Nov 13th 2018: Results & Review
Welcome to this weeks review of Smackdown Live, right here, on Nerdly… And this episode will see the falout from last nights invasion of Raw by the Smackdown womens roster AND that injury to becky Lynch which took place to round out Monday night’s Raw.
Match #1: Jeff Hardy def. Andrade “Cien” Almas
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Jeff Hardy and Andrade “Cien” Almas pushed each other to their limits in a highly memorable matchup on SmackDown LIVE, and Almas nearly scored an upset over the former WWE Champion, but The Charismatic Enigma finished Almas off with a ring-rattling Swanton Bomb. The win proved to be extra beneficial for Hardy, as Paige ruled that Daniel Bryan could no longer be on the SmackDown Men’s Survivor Series Team since he would be challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Title tonight. The Miz, who was left as the blue brand’s sole captain, immediately selected The Charismatic Enigma as the newest member of Team Blue.
My Take: Two fantastic wrestlers in a… decidely average match. There was no sense of urgency, no excitement to this one, which is surprising given just how skilled both men are. Almas taking the loss does nothing for him, I’m guessing Vince has cooled on him and he’ll now be relegated to a mid-card career in the Heath Slater fashion.
Match #2: Rey Mysterio def. The Miz to remain on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
After The Miz added Jeff Hardy to the SmackDown Survivor Series Team, he suggested removing Rey Mysterio, clearly still bitter about Mysterio’s defeat of him several weeks ago. Mysterio, never one to back down from a challenge, agreed to take on Miz tonight, and if The A-Lister could defeat him, Mysterio would no longer be on Team Blue this Sunday. The Superstars exchanged offensive flurries that saw The Biggest Little Man attempt to use his blinding speed to take out Miz and Miz try to wear Mysterio down. It appeared that The Awesome One was en route to picking up the victory he so coveted, but Rey proved to be as crafty as ever when he caught Miz in a unique rollup for the three-count.
My Take: This was not the first time these two have faced each other and I doubt it will be the last. Why? Because the pair work very well together. Miz’s brawling style and Mysterio’s fast pace somehow fit together very well and I could watch them go at it over and over. Though the booking of the finish, another sneaky roll-up/pin left something to be desired.
Match #3: The Bar & Big Show def. The New Day
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
With only five days before SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar take on Raw Tag Team Champions AOP in a Champions vs. Champions Match at Survivor Series, The Bar & Big Show squared off against rivals The New Day on the blue brand. The New Day were firing on all cylinders during a heated contest, but their roll came to a screeching halt when Big Show connected with a brutal KO Punch to Kofi Kingston to pick up the victory, gaining major momentum for The Bar heading into Sunday.
My Take: Like the previous match, thses two teams have experience with each other and know how to put on a great match. And whilst seeing the teams go at became stale, the addition of Big Show to the mix has revitalised this feud – gone is the 3-man advantage for The New Day who are now, thanks to the size advantage of Big Show, now the underdogs in their match-ups. Once again Kofi Kingston put in the work to make this match what it was, something he’s been doing on a regular basis – this time almost getting a pin (or two) on The Bar.
Match #4: Daniel Bryan def. AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Following a volatile brawl with Daniel Bryan earlier in the evening, WWE Champion AJ Styles defended the WWE Championship against The Beard in the main event on SmackDown LIVE. With the title and the opportunity to battle Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series on the line, the two Superstars engaged in a breathtaking contest that had the WWE Universe captivated from start to finish. Styles seemingly gained the advantage when Bryan tweaked his leg, but The “Yes!” Man would simply not relent, and he continued to battle through the immense pain. Styles looked to be in prime position for victory when he blocked the Running Knee with a perfectly placed dropkick to Bryan’s injured knee and followed up with a Calf Crusher, but Bryan reversed it and continued fighting.
In the pivotal moments, Styles went for The Phenomenal Forearm, but Bryan dodged it and caused Styles to inadvertently strike the official. With the referee temporarily down, Bryan shockingly took the opportunity to kick The Phenomenal One below the belt before dropping him with the Running Knee to complete his long road back to the WWE Title. Bryan then doubled down on his shocking decision, brutalizing the already downed Styles after being awarded the championship. With a sadistic smile on his face, Daniel Bryan is the new WWE Champion… and what does it mean for SmackDown LIVE?
My Take: As I said in my review of their match two weeks ago – what else would you expect from these two other than one hell of a match? That’s what the audienvce expected and that’s what they got… Another PPV quality match on a standard TV broadcast. And as I also said last time, I hoped these two would be able to fight for a little longer, with a little less urgency – and that’s EXACTLY what we got with this match. A surprising win for Daniel Bryan was made even more surprising by a hell turn from the leader of the Yes! movement. A heel turn that gives Bryan a little more depth and makes him even more interesting. After all he couldn’t be the underdog/comeback kid forever could he?
News of the Night:
- Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles brawled in the show opener – perfect manipulation by Paul Heyman, who made a rare appearnce on the blue brand.
- Randy Orton is still trying to attack Rey Mysterio – though Mysterio got away, leaving Miz to take the RKO.
- Becky Lynch hand-picked Charlotte Flair to replace her at Survivor Series.
- Daniel Bryan turned heel – he will now face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Another superb episode of Smackdown that built from a weak opener to a PPV quality main event. Less of a build to Survivor Series tonight than on Raw, but an episode that was packed with storytelling and dirt-sheet exciting events!
