Friday Night Smackdown – Sep 16th 2022: Results & Review
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down this week…
Match #1: Ricochet def. Sami Zayn
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ricochet once again got SmackDown off to a hot start, facing off against “The Honorary Uce” Sami Zayn. Ricochet had his work cut out for him as he had nearly all of The Bloodline, including a returned Paul Heyman, at ringside in the corner of Zayn. Logan Paul, however, was in the corner of Ricochet offering him some backup. Ricochet attempted a Standing Moonsault but Zayn got his knees up in time, nearly grabbing a two-count victory in the process. Zayn followed up on this with a Blue Thunder Bomb but Logan Paul distracted the referee, disabling The Master Strategist from earning the win. In the final stages of the match, Jey Uso attempted to help out The Master Strategist but his plan backfired, prompting Zayn to confront Jey. Ricochet capitalized on the commotion, earning the victory with a Shooting Star Press.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bayley def. Raquel Rodriguez
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Rodriguez did not take kindly to Damage CTRL invading her SmackDown home after she and Aliyah lost the Women’s Tag Team Titles to Dakota Kai & IYO SKY this past Monday. Rodriguez put up a good fight, controlling large swathes of the match but Bayley got help from IYO SKY, defeating Rodriguez with the Rose Plant. Damage CTRL looked to make an example of Rodriguez in a beatdown, but Shotzi surprisingly came to the aid of Rodriguez.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: NXT North American Championship – Solo Sikoa def. Madcap Moss
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a rare collision of worlds, the NXT North American Championship had its first defense on SmackDown as champion Solo Sikoa put his newly won title on the line against Madcap Moss. In a back and forth match, Moss fought valiantly but was no match to the numbers game. Whilst Jey Uso was unsuccessful in his distraction attempts earlier in the evening, Sami Zayn was more fruitful in helping Sikoa capitalize on the interference. With Zayn in his corner, Sikoa capitalized by hitting the Spinning Solo on Moss, earning the win and retaining his title.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Ridge Holland & Butch def. The New Day, Hit Row & Imperium
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Four of SmackDown’s best teams faced off in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match to determine new challengers for The Usos Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles. Butch took his joint manipulation to the next level, mangling Ludwig Kaiser’s limbs. The final stages were absolutely chaotic, with Top Dolla showcasing his strength by lifting up Butch, Woods and Kingston on his shoulders, competitors flying and Holland hitting Top Dolla with an Alabama Slam. In the end, Ridge Holland & Butch of The Brawling Brutes lived up to their moniker, brutalizing their opponents, picking up the win after Imperium hit the Imperial Bomb on Kingston.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Liv Morgan challenged Ronda Rousey to an Extreme Rules match
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
A decidedly average episode of Smackdown this week with not even the opening match doing anything to raise this to the level we’ve seen in recent weeks. This was a rare misfire IMHO.
