Featuring a match in memory of Pat Patterson and a rare in-ring TV appearance by Roman Reigns, this November 4 episode of SmackDown also features the return of two Superstars.
We start off the show with a moment of silence and a ten bell salute for Pat Patterson, who passed away this week. You can read Slam Wrestling’s obituary for Patterson here.
Kayla Braxton interviews Roman Reigns, who is flanked by Paul Heyman and Jey Uso, ahead of his tag match against Otis and Kevin Owens in tonight’s Main Event. We flash back to Jey Uso’s actions last week, his loss to Kevin Owens, and the things Kevin said to Roman. Kayla Braxton asks Roman if he’s afraid of K.O., which he doesn’t answer. Kayla keeps on with the hard questions, asking if Roman manipulates Jey. He continues to dodge questions, telling Paul to deal with Kayla.
Owens interrupts him, saying there’s no point in waiting for the main event, they can settle their differences right now. Jey says he’ll take him on, but Kevin wasn’t talking to him. Owens delivers a challenge for TLC as well, but Roman says there’s a time and place for everything, leaving Owens in the ring. Owens calls him out, saying that he’s scared of him. Roman ignores him, walking to the back in a fit of silent rage.
Backstage, Jey Uso is letting his anger out about the situation with Kevin Owens. Roman Reigns tells him that there will be consequences for his actions.
Bayley VS Natalya
With Bianca Belair on commentary, Bayley starts off fast, hitting a rope-hung stunner on Natalya. She delivers a dropkick to the B.O.A.T and then gets in Belair’s face, allowing Natalya to slam her into the steel steps as we go to commercial.
When we come back, Bayley is delivering a German suplex to Natalya for 2. Natalya goes for the Sharpshooter, but Bayley fights out and delivers a running knee. Bayley gets rolled up but she kicks out, sending Natalya into the turnbuckle. Bayley goes for an attack in the corner, but Natalya dodges it and locks in the Sharpshooter for the win.
Natalya locks in the Sharpshooter on Bayley. Photo: WWE
Winner via submission: Natalya
Match Rating: 2/5
They could’ve set this up as a way to progress the rivalry between Belair and Bayley, Belair could’ve cost Bayley the match or something, but they didn’t. This was just a completely clean win by Natalya, which is fine, Natalya is great, but it seemed like they were setting something up with Belair on commentary and then they just did nothing.
Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, and Big E VS Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Sami Zayn (Pat Patterson Memorial Match)
Six former Intercontinental Champions come together for a match to honor the first Intercontinental Champ, Pat Patterson. Big E enters with a brand new theme and uses his old chalk bit, so that’s pretty cool. Rey starts off against Nakamura, with Rey using his speed to toss Nakamura with a headscissors. Rey tags in Big E and Nakamura tags in Ziggler, who gets tossed by Big E. E tags in Bryan, who jumps off the top rope and attacks the left arm of Ziggler. Bryan goes to the ropes but has his legs grabbed by Sami, allowing Ziggler to hit him from behind. The Show-Off looks to whip Bryan into the corner, but he flips over him and suicide dives to the outside to take out Sami. He goes to the top rope, but Ziggler dropkicks him off out to the floor as we go to commercial.
When we come back, Ziggler is beating down Bryan in the corner. Bryan looks to fight out, but Ziggler stops him with a kick. The two go to the ropes and collide with each other in the centre of the ring. Ziggler tags in Nakamura and Bryan tags in Big E, who comes in and tosses Nakamura with some belly to belly suplexes. He delivers his Big Splash and looks for the Big Ending, but Nakamura catches him with a kick.
Big E with a Big Splash to Shinsuke Nakamura. Photo: WWE
He looks for an attack in the corner but Big E catches him with a uranage. Ziggler breaks up the following pin and delivers a knee to Big E. Sami tags himself in and dodges a spear from Big E, but gets rolled up for 2 by Rey who tagged himself in as well. The Master of the 619 looks for a cartwheel bulldog, but Sami turns it into a Blue Thunder Bomb for 2.
Sami tags in Ziggler who looks for an attack in the corner, but Rey moves out of the way and tags in Bryan, who delivers his corner dropkicks. He looks for an avalanche hurricanrana, but Ziggler turns it into a pin for 2. Bryan gets a backslide for 2, and then delivers the Yes Kicks, but Ziggler fights back with a Famouser for 2.
Big E breaks up the pin, but Nakamura takes out Big E. Rey takes out Nakamura with a springboard seated senton, and Sami takes out Rey and tags himself in. Ziggler looks for a superkick on Bryan, but gets hit with a running knee. Sami sneakily rolls up Bryan from behind for 2. Bryan transitions into the Yes Lock, but Sami gets to the ropes.
Sami catches Bryan with a massive brainbuster for 2, but Bryan rolls Sami up with a small package for the win.
Winners via pinfall: Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio and Big E
Match Rating: 3.5/5
After the match, the winners come back in to take their opponents out. Bryan delivers an atomic drop to Ziggler, and I’m pretty sure it was the best sold move in wrestling history. Props to you, Ziggler. Rey hits the 619 and Big E grabs him for the Big Ending.
Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Kevin Owens about Roman. He says he used to respect Roman, but now the champ doesn’t respect the hard workers and backstage crew of WWE anymore. Otis comes along and agrees with him, and they seem ready for their tag match tonight.
Carmella and Sasha Banks have an interview, in separate rooms of course. Bayley and Sasha Banks, two women locked in a brutal rivalry filled with betrayal and career-threatening injury, can talk face to face just fine, but seeing as how Carmella superkicked Sasha Banks a few times, it’s an obvious move to keep them separated. Sasha says there’s a reason they’ve never faced off one on one, because they’re just not on the same level. Sasha challenges Carmella to a match at TLC, and she accepts.
King Corbin VS. Murphy (with the Mysterios)
King Corbin brings out two dudes who legitimately look like the default character in the WWE2K games for his “backup.” I know I’ve said that about Lars Sullivan before, but at least he has a beard and emotional trauma. These guys have such an impressive lack of remarkable features and personality that they end up being interesting.
Corbin starts out using his power advantage, spearing Murphy in the corner and tossing him across the ring. Murphy fights back with a kick and a jawbreaker, and then climbs to the top rope, looking for a sunset flip. Corbin catches him and delivers a knee, but Murphy fights back with a hurricanrana, a wrecking ball dropkick, and a kick from the apron. The two Autons from Doctor Who provide a “distraction” (they just stare blankly in Murphy’s general direction and move slightly closer to him), allowing Corbin to toss Murphy over the barricade as we go to commercial.
When we come back, Corbin is delivering a sleeper slam to Murphy for 2. The identity of the two Chronicoms (see: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) are revealed: Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake, formerly of the Forgotten Sons. Take a second to imagine this scenario: You’re about to face The New Day, one of the greatest tag teams of the 21st century, for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Then you get removed from the match because the leader of your stable says something horribly racist, you disappear for months, and return with clean-shaven faces and the personality of an Abomination from Disney’s The Owl House under the service of King Corbin, wearing a hoodie and a blazer at the same time. Truly tragic.
I’m not sure what to focus on here, Murphy’s mid-air mohawk (say that five times fast) or his ridiculously toned back muscles. Photo: WWE
Corbin continues the beat down with two hard right hands to WWE’s Best Kept Secret. He goes for a third, but Murphy reverses it and cinches in a chinlock. Murphy goes to the second rope and delivers a missile dropkick. He delivers a series of strikes, and when Corbin goes for his around-the-ringpost clothesline, Murphy catches him with a bicycle knee that sends him out of the ring. Murphy sends him back into the ring and goes to the top rope, but Blake and Cutler rush and attack Rey and Dominik. Murphy chases them back into the ring, but Corbin catches him with the End of Days for the win.
Winner via pinfall: King Corbin
Match Rating: 3/5
Backstage, The Street Profits are surprised that King Corbin has friends. They hype up the main event, but Robert Roode interrupts them with common sense, saying he and Ziggler should be tag champs since they beat them last week. Cesaro comes in and tells them that he and Nakamura should be the #1 Contenders. The four argue until the cameraman decides it isn’t interesting anymore and goes back to the ring.
Jey Uso and Roman Reigns VS Kevin Owens and Otis
Jey Uso comes out to the ring and, surprise, Roman doesn’t come out with him once again. It’s just as interesting as the last time they did this bit. Another kooky, quirky, crazy, whacky, and also zany moment here on WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
Otis starts off using his power advantage, slamming Jey from corner to corner and tossing him with a biel. Jey goes to the ropes but nearly gets his head taken clean off from a clothesline from Otis. Owens tags himself in and gets flattened with a Samoan Drop.
Roman decides it’s time to show up now, and makes his way to the ring. Jey picks up Owens but gets caught with an enziguri. Jey manages to crawl over to tag in Roman but he ignores him and rushes over to take out Otis on the apron with a Superman Punch without ever tagging in. He goes outside and slams Otis into the announce table, the apron, the ringpost, and finally the steel steps. He slams the steps into Otis, which is somehow legal, before Owens goes outside and beats down Roman from behind. Jey flies through the ropes to take out Owens with a suicide dive as we go to commercial.
When we come back, Roman is taking Owens out with a clothesline. He tags in Jey, who delivers a powerful uppercut. He looks for the running hip attack in the corner, but Owens moves out of the way and delivers a cannonball. K.O fights back with a series of strikes, a clothesline, and a senton. He spikes Jey with a DDT for two, and delivers a Samoan Drop.
Owens invites Roman to get in the ring, and he does, allowing Jey to hit a superkick. He looks for an Uso Splash, but Roman tells him to get down, as he wants to finish it. Owens prevents Jey from tagging in and hits a Stunner, but Roman breaks it up and locks in the Guillotine Choke on Owens, getting himself disqualified.
Roman Reigns and Jey Uso beat down Kevin Owens. Photo: WWE
Winners via disqualification: Kevin Owens and Otis
Match Rating: 1.5/5
After the match, Jey brings in two chairs, and the two rain blows down on K.O. Jey stacks a chair on Owens and delivers an Uso Splash. Roman takes his chair and attacks Jey with it as well, saying something about having to keep the peace. The show ends with Roman standing tall over Owens, as well as his own cousin.
SmackDown December 4
This was quite the mess of a show. The main event ended up being the same old thing, Owens winning by disqualification, because, y’know, chairs. The Natalya/Bayley match seemed like it was going to be something more and it just wasn’t, and the “Less Forgotten Now but Still Pretty Forgotten Sons” need a major makeover. The 6-man tag match was pretty good, but all in all, not a great show.