BRM Reviews the 10/9/2018 Smackdown (GREAT!)
Posted: Oct 9th, '18, 23:23
WWE WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH IN WHICH THE TITLE CAN CHANGE HANDS ON A DQ: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Charlotte Flair- 8/10
No entrances for either woman. They were both in the ring with the referee holding up the belt as we went on the air. They went over twenty-three minutes of what would have been remembered as a major Smackdown moment if they had gone about five more and had a clean finish, but instead they brawled to a double count-out. They kept brawling afterwards and Charlotte speared Becky through the LED wall. Whatever type of gimmick match these two are building up to (I Quit or Last Woman Standing seem best to me), it NEEDS to be the main event of Evolution.
WWE WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH: Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy- 5/10
Joe’s knee is heavily taped up after Super Show-Down. Jeff worked over the knee and won by referee stoppage. This is such an un-WWE finish.
They’re now flat-out admitting that this Evolution reunion as a celebration of SD is total BS by telling us that is the first time all four guys will be on SD at the same time.
PAIGE ANNOUNCES BECKY VS. CHARLOTTE AT EVOLUTION- The belt is on the line, and it’s Last Woman Standing. Cool.
MIZ TV WITH SPECIAL GUESTS AJ STYLES & DANIEL BRYAN- AWESOME!
The two babyfaces had some fun at Miz’s expense, but then started to cut promos on each other building up the importance of being the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Miz finally got fed up and cut an awesome promo on both of them and demanding the next title shot after Crown Jewel, no matter which one of them leaves Saudi Arabia as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
AJ STYLES vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN- 6.25/10
Both Daniel Bryan and The Miz did guest commentary for this match. They bickered, but in a manner that wasn’t obnoxious. The match was fine for the time it got.
ONE NIGHT IN MILWAUKEE, PART 2-
As expected, it’s not what it looked like. Lana’s “I want you” from last week was followed up by “to know how much Rusev and I appreciate what you have done for his career.” Aiden said that they both mean a lot to him and put his arm on Lana’s, then paused the tape.
Aiden then called Rusev out and said that he wouldn’t play the rest of the tape if Rusev dumped Lana and reformed their tag team. Rusev called Aiden’s bluff and told him to play the rest of the tape. Aiden said he couldn’t because “this is a family show” and said that no man should ever have to see his wife cheating on him.
Lana says that if Aiden won’t play the video than she will. Aiden insists this is impossible but Lana claims that she hacked Aiden’s phone or something, and that his password was “I Heart Rusev” (note to self: change forum password). Why should anyone need to hack anything? I figured the way they got the video up on the Tron was that Aiden gave it to the production crew. If he is ChromeCasting it to the Tron or something then shouldn’t he have his phone out?
Aiden got very nervous as Lana had the video played, and Lana rejected Aiden’s advances and left, as Aiden stammered that he was only going in for a hug. So the mystery is wrapped up… and Aiden told Lana “the offer is still on the table. So when you get tired of those boring Rusev days, come treat yourself to an Aiden night.” This was a WONDERFUL heel line due to its ability to simultaneously be extremely dorky and extremely douchy.
Rusev charged at Aiden but Aiden managed to get away. Corey Graves, being excellent, said that Aiden deserved the beating he almost got not for lying and trying to break up Rusev & Lana’s marriage, but “for baiting and switching all of us.”
REY MYSTERIO IS BACK NEXT WEEK… AND HE’S FACING NAKAMURA IN A WWE WORLD CUP QUALIFIER!
WWE WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH: Randy Orton vs. Big Show- 3.75/10
This was pretty boring, and Big Show losing in his first match back almost felt silly.
A GREAT episode of Smackdown. Things are moving along nicely, they did with the fallout of Super Show-Down very well, and started the build to both Evolution and Crown Jewel, and that first hour and fifteen minutes in particular gave us some GREAT stuff.
No entrances for either woman. They were both in the ring with the referee holding up the belt as we went on the air. They went over twenty-three minutes of what would have been remembered as a major Smackdown moment if they had gone about five more and had a clean finish, but instead they brawled to a double count-out. They kept brawling afterwards and Charlotte speared Becky through the LED wall. Whatever type of gimmick match these two are building up to (I Quit or Last Woman Standing seem best to me), it NEEDS to be the main event of Evolution.
WWE WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH: Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy- 5/10
Joe’s knee is heavily taped up after Super Show-Down. Jeff worked over the knee and won by referee stoppage. This is such an un-WWE finish.
They’re now flat-out admitting that this Evolution reunion as a celebration of SD is total BS by telling us that is the first time all four guys will be on SD at the same time.
PAIGE ANNOUNCES BECKY VS. CHARLOTTE AT EVOLUTION- The belt is on the line, and it’s Last Woman Standing. Cool.
MIZ TV WITH SPECIAL GUESTS AJ STYLES & DANIEL BRYAN- AWESOME!
The two babyfaces had some fun at Miz’s expense, but then started to cut promos on each other building up the importance of being the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Miz finally got fed up and cut an awesome promo on both of them and demanding the next title shot after Crown Jewel, no matter which one of them leaves Saudi Arabia as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
AJ STYLES vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN- 6.25/10
Both Daniel Bryan and The Miz did guest commentary for this match. They bickered, but in a manner that wasn’t obnoxious. The match was fine for the time it got.
ONE NIGHT IN MILWAUKEE, PART 2-
As expected, it’s not what it looked like. Lana’s “I want you” from last week was followed up by “to know how much Rusev and I appreciate what you have done for his career.” Aiden said that they both mean a lot to him and put his arm on Lana’s, then paused the tape.
Aiden then called Rusev out and said that he wouldn’t play the rest of the tape if Rusev dumped Lana and reformed their tag team. Rusev called Aiden’s bluff and told him to play the rest of the tape. Aiden said he couldn’t because “this is a family show” and said that no man should ever have to see his wife cheating on him.
Lana says that if Aiden won’t play the video than she will. Aiden insists this is impossible but Lana claims that she hacked Aiden’s phone or something, and that his password was “I Heart Rusev” (note to self: change forum password). Why should anyone need to hack anything? I figured the way they got the video up on the Tron was that Aiden gave it to the production crew. If he is ChromeCasting it to the Tron or something then shouldn’t he have his phone out?
Aiden got very nervous as Lana had the video played, and Lana rejected Aiden’s advances and left, as Aiden stammered that he was only going in for a hug. So the mystery is wrapped up… and Aiden told Lana “the offer is still on the table. So when you get tired of those boring Rusev days, come treat yourself to an Aiden night.” This was a WONDERFUL heel line due to its ability to simultaneously be extremely dorky and extremely douchy.
Rusev charged at Aiden but Aiden managed to get away. Corey Graves, being excellent, said that Aiden deserved the beating he almost got not for lying and trying to break up Rusev & Lana’s marriage, but “for baiting and switching all of us.”
REY MYSTERIO IS BACK NEXT WEEK… AND HE’S FACING NAKAMURA IN A WWE WORLD CUP QUALIFIER!
WWE WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH: Randy Orton vs. Big Show- 3.75/10
This was pretty boring, and Big Show losing in his first match back almost felt silly.
A GREAT episode of Smackdown. Things are moving along nicely, they did with the fallout of Super Show-Down very well, and started the build to both Evolution and Crown Jewel, and that first hour and fifteen minutes in particular gave us some GREAT stuff.