Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for November 5th, 2015 – “Faked-Out”

Introduction Segment: Welcoming

The regular Smackdown! video plays then Rich Brennan salutes us from; on the card is another Survivor Series Match pitting The Lucha Dragons and The Prime Time Players against the entire Wyatt Family, and Dean Ambrose will take on Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens!

Segment #2: Arena Promo

United States/Mexican Champion Alberto Del Rio and Zeb Colter make their entrance to the ramp. Zeb talks about the combination of the two, and how they wanted to pair together to prove that nations with different ideas can still work together. The self-proclaimed Mex-America Champion walks to the ring for the first contest of the night.

Match #1: Single – United States/Mexican Champion Alberto Del Rio (with Zeb Colter) VS. Neville

They start evenly with minor shots, and then Alberto gets aggressive by throwing Neville into the turnbuckle and kicking hard. He punches him few times in the corner, but is kicked back at as Neville ran off the ropes. Neville gives Del Rio a headscissors and standing-moonsault, but he is driven down and falls to the floor.

Commercials.

Alberto is still in control, especially after chucking Neville hard into the corner barricade. He whips Neville against the ropes again, but Neville holds on and hits back. Del Rio goes to the outside and Neville follows with a moonsault from the top turnbuckle! Both re-enter before the count-out, but Neville ducks a running-Enziguri and just about takes this with a snap-hurricanrana!

Neville has the U.S. Champ set up in the corner and ascends the turnbuckle, but Alberto moves. He tries a springboard, but Alberto trips him and Neville is caught upside down. Del Rio climbs and jumps off the top with a double-stomp. He covers and gets the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: United States/Mexican Champion Alberto Del Rio (with Zeb Colter)

Post-match, the U.S./Mexican Champ gives Neville a kick-to-the-head, then locks on the cross armbreaker. Jack Swagger runs out and stares down Del Rio amid “U.S.A.” chants; Alberto backs away as Jack checks on Neville.

Up next, The Usos return to Smackdown! as well.

Ads.

Match #2: Tag-Team – The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)

Jimmy and Viktor begin, with Jimmy getting one-up on the bigger man. This lasts until Jimmy is sent to the floor and then given a big-boot by Konnor. Viktor takes control and slingshots Jimmy into Konnor, who catches him and slams him down.

Jimmy eventually makes the hot-tag to his brother, and both Twins double-team The Ascension with two double-superkicks. Jey follows up with a splash from the top rope and the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winners via Pinfall: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)

Segment #3: Video Promo

A recap of The Wyatt Family’s dealings with Kane and The Undertaker is shown.

Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erik Rowan, and Braun Strowman enter the arena to darkened lighting and cell-phones; their bout is up next!

Commercials.

Match #3: Eight-Man Elimination Tag-Team (Survivor Series Rules) – The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erik Rowan, and Braun Strowman) VS. The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) and The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O’Neil)

Young and Rowan start, with Erik overpowering Darren, then tagging in Luke. Darren takes Luke down, as does Titus when he is brought in, but Harper kicks Young back and switches with Bray who dominates with Rowan. Braun goes into the ring and clamps on his submission finisher, which knocks Darren to the floor, and he gets counted-out.

Darren Young is eliminated; Wyatt Family 4, Luchas/Prime Time 3

Titus is in but also governed by Strowman, who hurls him into the corner barrier.

Ads.

Despite a small comeback by The Luchas, this entire bout is totally Wyatt-dominated with them eliminating all three opponents after Bray finishes Cara with Sister Abigail!

Winners via Pinfall: The Wyatt Family, 4 – 0

Segment #4: Backstage Promo

Rene Young is with Dean Ambrose, asking him about his contest with Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens. He rattles on about the late John Denver and applies it to Owens, until the I.C. Champ himself interrupts. Kevin calls out Dean’s nonsense then walks away.

Commercials.

Match #4: Single – King Barrett VS. Ryback

Barrett boots Ryback out of the ring early, and then runs him into two of the ring posts. He swing-slams Ryback for a near-fall, then wears him down with a grounding chinlock. Ryback suddenly reverses into Shellshock to take this!

Winner via Pinfall: Ryback

Segment #5: Backstage Promo

Team B.A.D. is with Rene Young, who inquires them about their attack on Natalya last week, and asks who the leader of B.A.D. is, which is who Nattie wants to face tonight. Sasha and Naomi bicker a little, and then Tamina just glares at Rene before leaving.

Ads.

Match #5: Single – Natalya VS. ???

Prior to this, B.A.D. tease who is going to wrestle until it is Tamina that hops on the apron and enters. She takes over quickly, stomping Natalya down, then completely controls for a while until Nattie gives her a spin-clothesline out-of-the-corner. Natalya goes for The Sharpshooter, but Naomi and Sasha distract her from the apron. Tamina takes advantage, but misses a splash and is rolled-up for the 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Natalya

Commercials.

Segment #6: Video Promo

The “Raw Rebound” is shown, featuring Roman Reigns and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

Ads.

Match #6: Single – Dean Ambrose VS. Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens (Non-Title)

Owens clamps on a wristlock, but Ambrose rolls out of it and turns it into one of his own; Kevin gets to the ropes for a break. Dean takes Owens down with a side headlock, but Kevin switches it around. Ambrose fires up with Japanese Arm-Drags, but Owens leaves and recovers by the announcer’s table.

Commercials.

The I.C. Champ throws Dean around the outside into the corner barricade, then physically dictates this bout for a bit. He yells at Jerry “The King” Lawler to check out what he wants to do from the top turnbuckle, but Ambrose meets him and brings him down with a superplex! He dives off the top turnbuckle with an elbow-clothesline, but only gets two!

He headbutts Kevin from the middle turnbuckle, then hits a missile dropkick (thanks, Brennan!) and chops/punches away. He hops over a Pop-Up Powerbomb try and clotheslines Owens back after moving from a superkick! He springs off the ropes again and kicks Owens, who tumbles and holds his crotch. Charles Robinson, the referee, talks to Owens then signals that it was a low-blow, so he instructs the bell to ring and award this to Owens!

Winner via Disqualification: Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens

Post-match, as Kevin gathers up and his title, then a replay is shown which reveals that Ambrose only kicked Owens in the gut and he faked the kick-to-the-groin. Referee Robinson must’ve seen this, as he signals to Owens about getting booted in the stomach, and Ambrose stands on the turnbuckle to close the show.

End Of Smackdown!

Reporter’s Rumblings

This was an OK Smackdown!; I felt it was missing a few key players though, and some of the action was either too quick or too soon. The promos, however, were pretty-good. Onto the analysis:

Excellence: promos by Colter/Del Rio and Ambrose. Matches between Alberto/Neville, the Survivor Series Tag (although, it is also in my Bogus for another reason), and Ambrose/Owens (especially the finish; absolutely fits in with Owens’ character and decently creative!)

Bogus: didn’t like the small dissension B.A.D. showed in their promo; if they really are living up to that name, they should not be arguing and instead should just be completely controlling. As well, wish Tamina/Natalya went a little longer.

As good as the Eight-Man was, I didn’t like the fact they did another so soon; I understand using the concept to build up the Pay-Per-View/Network show, but I think it should be once-a-week instead. Also, after The Luchas huge win on Monday and what-looked-to-be resurgence and potential new Tag-Team Championship challengers, I was not pleased to see them lose in this match.

Wade Barrett needs to be repackaged into the “Bare-Knuckle Brawler” personality fast! I’m tired of his King Barrett persona, and he has done nothing since the days of attempting to be a plain-and-simple butt-kicking wrestler!

To continue to build Rollins/Reigns, one of them, if not both, should’ve been on the show at least in a live promo. These were the key players I felt were missing and made Smackdown! a little more lacklustre, particularly since it is for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, so their feud should be important enough to have at least one of them on both Raw and Smackdown! every week.

Hopefully next week’s show will be more spiced up as we continue to move onto the actual Survivor Series show. Until Raw, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Fans!