Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for October 8th, 2015 – “Fighting On…”

Introduction Segment: Video Promo and Welcoming

The regular Smackdown! video and pyro starts off, as Rich Brennan greet us from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! He announces tonight’s main event of Randy Orton and Roman Reigns taking on The Wyatt Family – Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman.

Segment #2; Arena Promo

Tag-Team Champions The New Day dance to the ring; during this, a recap of their decimation of John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, and The Dudley Boyz from Raw is shown. Back live, Kofi Kingston, Big E. and Xavier Woods take pleasure in their actions and list a bunch of famous stables that supposedly couldn’t do what they did.

They rip on the fans and city for not being at the top in sports, in particular their NFL Football team, The Philadelphia Eagles. The trio move on to their challenger, again, The Dudley Boyz. They claim the “brothers” have “politicked” their way into another championship match at Hell In A Cell. However, New Day declare they will still win, as “New…Day…Rocks…”

Dolph Ziggler interrupts and stands on stage. He is not happy with New Day for them interfering in his United States Championship match on Raw. He says The Authority has granted him a little revenge, putting him in a match with Big E. tonight. Woods wishes Big E. “good luck” and tells “The Show Off” that “it’ll be a fair fight,” smirking! Dolph agrees, bringing out New Day’s nemesis’, Bubba Ray and D-Von!

Match #1: Single – Tag-Team Champion and New Day member Big E. (with Tag-Team Champions and New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) VS. Dolph Ziggler (with The Dudley Boyz – Bubba Ray and D-Von)

The bell rings and Dolph hits a dropkick and leaping-DDT immediately. Big rolls to the outside and recovers with his partners.

Commercials.

Big E. now in control, pressing Dolph against the bottom rope with his knee. On the outside, Xavier plays the trombone when Big does something good. Langston clamps on a quick abdominal stretch, but Ziggler fights out with punches. He is put back to the mat with an elbow and E continues to cockily walk around. Dolph punches back again, but Big drives him with a backbreaker for a near-fall! He wears him down with a rear chinlock, then a bearhug.

Ziggler hits back again and manages a roll-up for two, then hops on him and dropped over the turnbuckle. Dolph still moves from a run and drives Big face-first with the Fameasser! 1 – 2 – E kicks out! Dolph attempts a kick, but Big catches him and spins him with a belly-to-belly suplex. He runs the ropes and splashes him, but Dolph just gets his shoulder up in time!

Big picks up Dolph, but “The Show-off” slides out and superkicks him! On the outside, New Day and Dudleyz brawl, which diverts the referee’s attention. Kofi jumps to the apron and jawbreaks Dolph with the ropes. Big covers and Kofi holds Ziggler’s leg to give the Big the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champion Big E.

After still-images of Brock Lesnar VS. The Big Show from last Saturday’s show at MSG, we will see their confrontation from Raw up next!

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Segment #3: Video Promo

Recap of Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and Big Show from Raw.

Segment #4: Video Promo

Recap of Summer Rae engaging Rusev.

Segment #5: Backstage Promo

Summer is getting dolled up by an assistant when Rusev walks in and inquires why everyone knows about their engagement. She tells him that she got The Authority to put him in a match with Ryback, and insinuates that if he wins, he will move on to be the next one to go for the Intercontinental Championship. “Ru-Ru” is happy with her work.

Team Bella make their entrance and will be wrestling in a Six-Diva bout, next!

Commercials.

Match #2: Six-Diva Tag-Team – Team Bella (Brie and Nikki Bella, and Alicia Fox) VS. Divas Champion Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Natalya
Becky and Alicia begin, with a lockup and trading a wristlock for a roll-up. Becky flies Alicia around with a couple armdrags, then clutches on an armlock. Charlotte is tagged in and they double hip-toss and elbow-drop Alicia. Natalya is now in and she and Charlotte double armdrag Fox, then Nattie gives Alicia a running front-dropkick.

Alicia counters with a jawbreaker and puts Natalya in her corner. She switches with Nikki, who drops an axe-handle-smash from the second turnbuckle. Nattie flips Nikki over and tags in Becky, who covers quickly but is countered and kicked by Nikki. Brie slaps hands with her sister then soars off the second turnbuckle with a missile dropkick. She elbows Lynch in the side of the face/neck before the break.

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Becky is now getting triple-teamed in the corner, then Alicia gives her a Northern-Lights Suplex for one. Fox works Lynch with a grounding rear chinlock, then Becky continues to get pummeled by all three Team Bella members.

Brie kicks at Natalya on the apron, then ties up Becky in the ropes with a scissors and chin stretch. Nikki also boots Lynch on the apron, then Brie stomps. She goes for the running-knee but Becky moves and crawls to Charlotte and Nattie. Nikki blocks it, giving Charlotte a forearm. Becky battles out of a front-facelock, but is elbowed down. Becky trips up Nikki face-first into the middle turnbuckle, then slaps hands with Charlotte!

Charlotte chops away repeatedly at Nikki, and kicks her in the face. Bella counters a run with an elbow then the Disaster Kick! (springboard kick). Nikki puts Charlotte in the Rack Attack position, but Charlotte gets out of it and spears Nikki into the Figure-4. Brie breaks it up before Charlotte goes full-on into the Figure-8, and Nikki turns over the Figure-4. Lynch now dropkicks Nikki for the breakup, and The Divas Champion turns it back into the full Figure-8 to make Nikki tap out!

Winners via Submission: Divas Champion Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Natalya

Segment #6: Backstage Promo

Rene Young asks Paige, who was watching the match, about the new team N.B.C. Paige is not impressed and puts down Natalya for “horning in.” She walks off in a huff.

Rusev and Summer Rae enter the arena for his bout with Ryback!

Commercials.

Match #3: Single – Rusev (with Summer Rae) VS. Ryback

(Note: Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens is on commentary, and by a short video, Ryback declares that “it’s feeding time” on Rusev.)

Ryback immediately rams his shoulder into Rusev’s gut in the corner then kicks away. Rusev punches back and runs, but Ryback jumps on him in a Lou Thesz press position, then pounds away with fists. Rusev counters a whip and elbows Ryback to the outside. He slams Ryback’s hand on the announcer’s table, ring apron, ring post, and steel steps.

In the ring, Rusev uses the ropes to apply pressure to Ryback’s arm, and continues to focus on it with slams and kicks. Ryback slaps back but soon elbowed again. Rusev rips at Ryback’s nose, which the referee takes umbrage with. This allows Ryback to regain momentum and belly-to-belly suplex “The Bulgarian Brute!”

Ryback shoulder-blocks Rusev a couple times, then gives him a big shoulder-tackle. He boots Rusev back then over-the-shoulder powerslams him down; he only gets two, however. He goes for a powerbomb, but Rusev reverses into an Alabama Slam for a close-call!

Ryback tries a suplex, but Rusev lands on his feet and grabs a hold of “The Big Guy” with a sleeper. Ryback counters with a backward slam, then picks up Rusev in a Shellshock position. Rusev drops out of it and kicks him hard in the chest. He covers, but Ryback kicks out, despite Summer moving his foot from the bottom rope.

Rusev gets ready to “crush” , but Ryback grabs his foot as he went for the stomp. He hits the Meathook Clothesline and the Shellshock Samoan Drop for the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Ryback

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Segment #7: Video Promo

Recap of Raw, featuring WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, The Authority, and Corporate/Demon Kane.

Segment #8: Video Promo

“Oh what a tangled web we’ve spun, when we start to believe. As for yourself Roman, at Hell In A Cell, will I be locked inside with you? Or will you be trapped inside with me? Either way, it makes no difference because the result stays the same – I am going to put you down. But tonight, tonight Roman Reigns and Randy Orton will face my judgment and the wrath of the ‘Black Sheep’,” declares Bray Wyatt. Braun Strowman appears now and compares Orton and Reigns to the rabbits he used to torture.

Commercials.

Match #4: Single – King Barrett VS. Neville

King clamps a wristlock on Neville, but “The Man That Gravity Forgot” flips around and out of it, then gives King “Bad News” an armdrag. Barrett claps in appreciation, but misses a run in the corner and is planted with a springboard crossbody for two!

Neville flips over Barrett from the apron to the ring, but is slammed to the canvas by the hands of King. He is also given a big boot-to-the-face for a near-fall. Barrett poses for a break.

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Barrett whips Neville into the corner, and kicks him hard in the chest, but only gets two! King continues to wear down Neville with a quick surfboard stretch, but Neville hits back with a spin-kick. He moves from a running-boot, and Neville puts Barrett to the floor; he follows with a top-turnbuckle moonsault! Both are back in the ring and Neville gives Barrett a running dropkick-to-the-head. He almost takes this after a German Suplex pin, but Barrett fires back with a hard clothesline.

King tries his Wasteland move, but Neville reverses into a roll-up for a two-count! Neville gets out of another Wasteland with a DDT, then climbs the turnbuckle. Barrett moves to the ropes to avoid the top-rope splash, then hits Neville with the Bullhammer Elbow to finish this one!

Winner via Pinfall: King Barrett

Segment #8: Video Promo

Stardust rambles on about Neville again. He uses playing cards to predict what will happen.

Up next is our main-event!

Commercials.

Randy Orton and Roman Reigns make their way to the ring. During Roman’s entrance, a video pops up of him telling Bray that “I’m going be the one taking you to hell” at their Pay-Per-View match. Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman do the same, and then we go to break.

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Match #5: Tag-Team – Randy Orton and Roman Reigns VS. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman)

Orton and Bray begin, with Orton clotheslining Bray hard after being pushed in the corner. He reverses a whip and sets up Wyatt against the ropes for the DDT, but Bray shoves off. Orton stalks him on the outside and clotheslines again. He puts Bray back in the ring and glares at Strowman. Wyatt tags the big-man in, who soon overpowers “The Viper.” Orton wisely tags in Reigns, and the two larger dudes faceoff!

They lockup and Braun tosses Roman across the ring. reigns kicks back and slaps Stroman a couple times, but is put to the canvas with a shoulder-block. Braun whips Roman, but Roman ducks and tags in Randy. They double-team Stroman, but “The Black Sheep” gives them both a double-shoulder-block. He works over Randy, then tags in Wyatt.

Bray headbutts Randy in the corner, then strikes on him. He runs at Randy with a splash-in-the-corner, then taunts him to tag in Reigns. Orton reverses a whip into his back/neckbreaker combo, then shifts from a splash by Braun! “The Viper” makes the hot-tag to Reigns, who then wears down Strowman with numerous hits.

He tries a Samoan Drop, but Braun gets himself out of it. Both end up on the outside, but Roman slides back in and punches at Braun while he’s between the top and middle rope. Reigns gears up for the Superman Punch and hits it, knocking Braun to the floor. He then notices Bray and boots him, then shoves him against the barricade and chucks him into the timekeeper’s area! He follows up with a running front-dropkick to Strowman, but turns around into a chair-shot by Bray, causing the dq.

Winners via Disqualification: Randy Orton and Roman Reigns

Post-match, Bray continues the punishment and goes for Sister Abigail, but Randy blocks it with a Lou Thesz Press and punches. Braun’s back in and drags Orton away, but Roman saves Randy. Bray sets up Reigns for Sister Abigail, but is pushed into an R.K.O.; Roman finishes with a war cry and Spear!

Braun pulls Bray out of the ring and The Family move to the back, leaving Roman and Randy to stand tall in the ring as the show closes.

End Of Smackdown!

Reporter’s Rumblings

This was a pretty-good edition; not like week’s by any-means, but good enough in continuing on to Hell In A Cell. Let’s look at the particulars:

Excellence: matches of Big E/Dolph, The Six-Diva, Ryback/Rusev, and the main-event. Promos by New Day and Dolph, Paige, Roman, and Ryback.

Kevin Owens on commentary was perfect! The man absolutely knows the exact right things to say, being an arrogant jerk, but getting us invested in him and whomever he’s feuding with. Really enjoying everything he does in the ring and on the microphone!

Bogus: too many Raw-recap-promos; another match could’ve easily been placed during them. Not loving Stardust/Neville feud anymore; it’s gone on too long and needs to end. The Stardust character also has “worn out his welcome” for me as well.

Sitting on the fence about Barrett; I’m disappointed that he’s still “King,” as that “big” win has really done nothing for him; but he seems to be mixing it now with his former “Bare Knuckle Brawler” persona, so this may work and be OK after all.

Kane and/or Rollins should’ve been in person, to continue there feud. Videos don’t always suffice. Also, where was Sheamus? “Mr. Money In The Bank” should be on every show to promote the importance of that briefcase.

Overall, I liked Smackdown!, but felt it was lacking compared to last week. Let’s hope next week’s Raw and Smackdown! are better! Until Monday’s Raw, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!