Friday Night SmackDown – Oct 9th 2020: Results & Review
Welcome to this week’s review of Friday Night SmackDown, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the first night of the 2020 WWE Draft, which means everything will stay the same and Peter Weller has puffy lips. Are you ready to go to the car wash? Why?! Are you a car? Did you kill somebody and put them in your car? Are you gonna wash the blood off of your car? Is the car red? Why waste the money then when the blood will match the car? What’re you, stupid?! Why isn’t the car blue? Don’cha know blue is best? Blue is the sweetest, the sleekest and the best…just like the blue brand SmackDown, BECAUSE SMACKDOWN IS THE BEST AND IT STARTS NOW! SCREW THE CAR AND THE CORPSE! LET’S WATCH SMACKDOWN! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!
Match #1: Big E def. Sheamus – Falls Count Anywhere Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Big E has been waiting to get his hands on Sheamus for weeks, and he made the most of the punishing opportunity when he finally did. The New Day powerhouse endured Kendo stick strikes, broken eggs and a smash onto the windshield in the brutal battle with The Celtic Warrior. As Sheamus tried to shut the trunk on Big E, the energetic Superstar held it off with his leg and got back on the attack. In the final moments, Big E landed a Big Ending over a table to earn a hard-fought victory in the grueling Falls Count Anywhere Match.
My Opinion: 3.7 out of 5 – This was a pretty mean way to open the show. You do get some of the goofy hardcore posts (brooms, cake-batter, crates), but the match has an edge to it that makes it all feel dangerous, more so than it looks. This was a good brawl, for starters. E and She knocked each other around like She love E, because She is like the la in La La and E would be great in La La Land (Hollywood), so it could be said She La E. Anyway, you’re gonna get plenty of action from these two big boys, who really committed to the grudge aspect of this bout. I wish more grudge matches felt this intense. I could go for a re-match of this at Hell In A Cell.
Match #2: Jeff Hardy & Matt Riddle def. The Miz & John Morrison
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a Twitter exchange earlier in the day, Jeff Hardy & Matt Riddle expressed their desire to team up. The Miz & John Morrison were more than happy to give them the opportunity. The Charismatic Enigma & The Original Bro showed the chemistry of a long-time team, as they dominated points of the match. Riddle clinched the victory for the newly-formed tandem with a crushing Bro Derek to The Miz.
My Opinion: 2 out of 5 – This was a squash match. Do you wanna watch a squash match? Yeah…right.
Match #3: Sasha Banks def. Bayley – WWE SmackDown Women’s Title Match (Disqualification)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After the brutal attacks from her former best friend, Sasha Banks rushed back from injury to get an opportunity to end Bayley’s historic title reign. The Boss was on fire early, as the rage was evident from the opening bell. With the challenger in control, Bayley opted for an easy way out and once again attacked Banks with a steel chair. The SmackDown Women’s Champion retained her title due to the champion’s advantage, but it was clear the bad blood is still boiling. Banks made one final statement, as she challenged Bayley to meet her at WWE Hell in a Cell.
My Opinion: 2 out of 5 – This was a three minute match that ended in disqualification. Do you wanna watch this shit? Go watch Saving Silverman instead.
Match #4: The New Day def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro – WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods wasted little time in their return and took on Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. There were little signs of ring rust, as the pair’s chemistry was on point in a battle with the titleholders. Kingston swung the match with a huge Trouble In Paradise for The King of Strong Style, and Woods followed up with a huge splash to reclaim the titles. The most shocking moment came after the match, as the trio learned their WWE Draft fate. Kingston & Woods were picked by Raw, while Big E was staying on SmackDown. What lies ahead for the seven-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions?
My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5 – These two teams managed to piece together a decent match that felt like the greatest hits version of a match neither team has been able to have with each other yet. TND might be the pedantic choice, but they are a reliable one, so I guess that makes it easier to digest. I hope Shinsuke and Cesaro get more TV time after this, but who knows with how Vince books. Well, this came and went without incident, so that’s a good sign for this match in the long run.
Match #5: (Main Event) The Fiend def. Kevin Owens
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The night ended in punishing fashion as Kevin Owens brought the fight against The Fiend. The Fiend was menacingly unfazed by repeated early strikes from his opponent. Owens looked to swing the match with a big splash on the outside, but HE kept on coming. The Fiend locked in a Mandible Claw, as Owens went for a Stunner. Despite Owens landing the Stunner, The Fiend held on until the three-count ended KO’s night.
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – When this worked, it was very encouraging for what a feud between these two would look like. Both men have a similar style in the ring, which was very beneficial for these two, as it made the match feel like an easy fit, when there are many differences between Bray and Kevin. There were some issues with Bray not being able to maneuver Kevin’s body like you’d hope he would (no more outside spots for Bray). Kevin was a real Speedy Gonzalez compared to the slower, albeit still quick and brisk Bray, who seems to be stealing Kane’s move-set more and more these days (good). While the action was not always up to the standard it should have been, it was still a match that had the right idea and that is enough in some ways.
News Of The Night:
- Lars Sullivan made a shocking return to attack Jeff Hardy, Matt Riddle and The Miz.
- Sasha Banks challenged Bayley to a Hell In A Cell match for the Women’s Title at Hell In A Cell.
- The following list is WWE.com’s posting of the 2020 WWE Draft – Night 1:
Round 1:
Raw: WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
SmackDown: Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Raw: Raw Women’s Champion Asuka
SmackDown: Seth Rollins
Raw: The Hurt Business (United States Champion Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander and MVP)
Round 2:
Raw: AJ Styles
SmackDown: Sasha Banks
Raw: Naomi
SmackDown: Bianca Belair
Raw: WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
Round 3:
Raw: Ricochet
SmackDown: Jey Uso
Raw: Mandy Rose
SmackDown: Dominik & Rey Mysterio
Raw: The Miz & John Morrison
Round 4:
Raw: SmackDown Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods
SmackDown: Big E
Raw: Dana Brooke
SmackDown: “Mr. Money in the Bank” Otis
Raw: Angel Garza - Roman Reigns defends the WWE Universal Title against Braun Strowman, next week.
Final Verdict: 2.8/5
Without the opener, this was a dull show that had The New Day split, but that’s about it. This was not a bad show, but it was lifeless in most cases, so what’s the point in watching?
