Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include WWE Tag Team Champions Motor City Machine Guns joining Grayson Waller and Austin Theory on The Grayson Waller Effect, Sami Zayn returns to have a summit with the OG Bloodline after Zayn ‘accidentally’ Helluva Kicked the OTC Roman Reigns, Roman Reigns Returns. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- The Grayson Waller Effect featuring WWE Tag Team Champions Motor City Machine Guns
- Sami Zayn appears to discuss Crown Jewel issue
- Roman Reigns returns
WWE SmackDown Results:
Before SmackDown kicked off, GM Nick Aldis informed Grayson Waller and Austin Theory that The Grayson Waller Effect had been canceled tonight. Instead, Waller and Theory will FACE the WWE Tag Team Champion, Motor City Machine Guns.
The Ones have Arrived
Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso make their way to the ring. The crowd showers Reigns with “OTC” chants. Before Reigns can speak, Jey Uso‘s music hits. Reigns looks perturbed by the interruption. Jey notes that there is a lot of misunderstanding right now. Jey asks Reigns to hear him out, please. Reigns looks confused. Sami Zayn‘s music hits. Reigns is livid. Zayn somberly walks to the ring. Before setting foot into the ring, Zayn glares at Reigns. Zayn says he wants to address what happened at Crown Jewel. The kick to Reigns wasn’t intentional.
Zayn wants to be clear that he was at Crown Jewel for Jey. He wishes he could say the only reason he was here tonight is because of Jey, but that’s not true. For a moment at Crown Jewel, the four of them in the ring together reminded Zayn what they had when things were good when they were The Bloodline. Zayn says he knows that Reigns wants all of this back on some level. Zayn says he thinks on some level, Reigns loves him. Reigns makes a face. Zayn points and says there it is; he can see that Reigns feels it. They can run all of this back. Zayn is going to put the ball in Reigns’ court. If Reigns wants Zayn to leave, he will.
Read More: Roman Reigns Refuses To Apologize To Jey Uso, Says Sami Zayn Isn’t Family On WWE SmackDown
Zayn promises never to be involved in the Bloodline business again. If Reigns wants it, Zayn is in. Zayn just needs Reigns to do one thing for him: apologize. Jimmy and Reigns both giggle at the notion. Jey looks worried. Reigns asks if that’s what Zayn wants. Zayn says he doesn’t want an apology; he wants Reigns to apologize to Jey. Reigns walks over to Jey and says he’s sorry. He’s sorry that he let Jey waste his time here. Zayn isn’t family. This isn’t about Zayn; this is about SOLO. Reigns wants Sikoa in the ring right now. Zayn walks away. Jacob Fatu appears on the ‘Tron and tells Reigns that The Tribal Chief doesn’t jump when Reigns says ‘how high.’ Sikoa will be in the ring when he’s ready and good.
Grade: B+
Great opening segment. Again, it wouldn’t make sense if getting the OG Bloodline back together was easy. Reigns shouldn’t want anything to do with Zayn, not just because of the past but because of what happened at Crown Jewel. Why would Reigns believe someone who stabbed him in the back? We all know how this ends, but how we are getting there has been fun.
Bayley vs. Candice LeRae
LeRae and Bayley trade strikes. Bayley sends LeRae out to the apron. LeRae stuns Bayley on the top rope. After the break, LeRae is working over Bayley. Missile dropkick by LeRae. Bayley explodes and immediately lands a lariat. Bayley unloads on LeRae in the corner with rights and lefts. LeRae fires back. Bayley hangs LeRae up on the second rope with a stunner. Spinout backbreaker by Bayley. LeRae rolls out of the ring to avoid a diving elbow from the former champion. Bayley chases LeRae around the ring. LeRae goes down, clutching at her knee. The referee tells Bayley to stay away as he checks on LeRae. Bayley turns around, and LeRae tries a sneaking rollup. Bayley reverses it into a pin for the win.
Winner- Bayley
Grade: C+
Solid short match. It’s a good sign that this mini-feud was given a bit of time on SmackDown to breathe. Nothing earth-shattering happened here.
The Viper Wants Blood
Randy Orton storms the ring and says he’s ending this ish right now. Orton wants Kevin Owens. Owens walks out on the ramp, but officials are trying to hold him back. Owens rushes the ring and both men brawl. Orton and Owens are separated. Owens low blows Orton and drops him with a PILEDRIVER. Yes, you read that correctly. Owens leaves through the crowd. WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Nick Aldis run to ringside. Orton is put on a stretcher and taken out of the arena. Rhodes rides to the hospital with Orton.
Grade: A+++
Holy Jim Cornette! Did Owens just get the piledriver over as the devastating move it’s supposed to be? Getting dropped on your head should END ANY WRESTLING MATCH, let alone a brawl. Piledrive someone in a street fight, and they will not get up. Trust me on this. This segment was wrestling gold!
#DIY vs. Pretty Deadly
Ciampa attacks Wilson as soon as the bell rings. Ciampa is all over Wilson, tossing him out of the ring and launching him into the barricade. Prince tries to save his partner, but Ciampa slams his head into the commentary desk at least 5768 times. Ciampa sends Wilson into the crowd. Gargano looks disturbed by what he’s witnessing. Ciampa hits the Fairytale Ending for the win.
Winners- #DIY
Ciampa storms off. Gargano follows, but Ciampa is totally ignoring him.
Grade: B+
DIY has been stale as a year-old saltine cracker since being put together on the main roster. It’s clear at this point that Gargano and Ciampa are better as adversaries. If this is the first step to getting these two at each other’s throats, this writer is here for it.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill vs. WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax and Miss Money in the Bank Tiffany Stratton
Stratton bad-mouths Cargill. Cargill tossed Stratton into the corner. Stratton slaps Cargill. Cargill chases Stratton. Stratton tags in Jax. Stratton pulls Belair off the apron. In the confusion, Jax lands a Samoan drop on Cargill. Cargill reverses Jax’s suplex with one of her own. Cargill tags in Belair. Belair clears the ring. Stratton managed to get her knees up while Belair attempted a superstar press. Jax tags in and misses a corner splash.
Read More: Kevin Owens Hits Randy Orton With Piledriver, Orton Gets Stretchered Out On WWE SmackDown
Belair tries to pick up Jax for a KOD, but she can’t get Jax up. Jax and Stratton hit a Samoan drop/diving neckbreaker combo. Cargill breaks up the pin. Cargill and Jax trade strikes. Belair goes up top. Candice LeRae appears and pushes Belair to the mat. Stratton yells at LeRae that she doesn’t need her help. Naomi attacks LeRae from behind. Back in the ring, Belair surprises Stratton with the KOD for the win.
Winners- Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
Grade: B
This was a good tag match. Belair and Cargill just work well together. Jax and Stratton had no chance here, but adding LeRae to the mix led to actual doubt about the apparent outcome. The interconnecting stories in the women’s division make everything seem more meaningful.
WWE Tag Team Champion Motor City Machine Guns vs. A-Town Down Under
Waller and Theory are in control early. Shelley and Sabin double-team Waller. Theory hooks Shelley’s leg, which allows Waller to take control after an elbow drop. Waller and Theory work over Shelley. Shelley manages to tag in Sabin. Sabin clears the ring. Waller breaks up Sabin’s pin attempt with a rolling facebuster. Shelley makes the save. Shelley and Sabin hit Skull and Bones for the win.
Winners- MCMG
Grade: C+
Standard TV match stuff here. Waller and Theory have run their course, and WWE may have missed its moment when it comes to splitting them up. Will anyone care if that happens at this point? Doubtful. MCMG looked good here, but there was little to work with here. Side note: MCMG entrance music is awful. Someone needs to do something about that ASAP.
Backstage, Ciampa loses it because The Street Profits are the number one contenders.
SmackDown GM Nick Aldis announces the Women’s United States Championship.
Undisputed Tribal Chief Acknowledgment Ceremony
The Bloodline is in the ring. Sikoa tells the crowd to acknowledge him. The crowd boos. Roman Reigns music hits. Reigns walks to the ring as Sikoa rolls his eyes. Sikoa says it’s good to see Reigns. Before he goes any further, Sikoa tells Regins he needs to acknowledge him as the undisputed Tribal Chief. Reigns asks the crowd if they acknowledge Sikoa. They say no. Reigns says they don’t, and neither does he. Reigns is here to challenge Sikoa. A one-on-one match for the undisputed Tribal Chief. Sikoa laughs. He doesn’t have to. Sikoa tells Reigns to find four people to team with him so they can go to war. Reigns says WarGames?
He only sees four people in Sikoa’s Bloodline. Sikoa says it’s his Bloodline, plus Sami Zayn. It wasn’t an accident that Zayn kicked Reigns. Zayn walks out on the stage. The Bloodline attacks Reigns as Zayn walks from the stage. Jimmy and Jey run down to the ring to try to make the save. As Sikoa holds Reigns for a Samoan Spike, he yells for Zayn to finish Reigns. Zayn comes to the ring, and Helluva Kicks Sikoa’s head off his shoulders. The OG Bloodline clears the ring. Zayn and Reigns share a nod. Jimmy and Jey hold up the ones while Reigns and Zayn stare each other down. Zayn puts up the one. Reigns does the same. The REAL Bloodline is BACK.
Grade: A
Great segement. For a second, they actually had this writer convinced Zayn was going to join the Outlaw Bloodline. Yet again, SmackDown puts together a solid episode in “As The Bloodline Turns.”
WWE SmackDown Review:
Great show overall. The opening and closing segments set the stage for the Survivor Series WarGames. Reigns hasn’t learned a thing and is repeating the same mistakes. Reigns’ growth into whatever he’s going to be as a babyface is fun to watch.
The short brawl between Orton and Owens was one of the most compelling segments of 2024. Owens is the most hated man on SmackDown after hospitalizing the legendary Randy Orton with a piledriver, which is a move that hasn’t been seen since CM Punk tried to murder John Cena on one Raw a decade ago. This is the reason why less is more. Wrestlers get dropped on their heads and pop up to do dipsey-doo flips in far too many matches on the indies and in other companies that I won’t mention by name here.
Read More: WWE Women’s United States Championship Introduced On 11/8 WWE SmackDown
The match of the night was the Women’s Tag match that featured Belair and Cargill battling Jax and Stratton; if you missed that one, definitely check it out. What do YOU think happens next? Who will be the first WWE Women’s United States Champion? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: B+
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