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KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
DECEMBER 18, 2020
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. AT TROPICANA FIELD (“THUNDERDOME”)
AIRED ON FS1
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcers: Greg Hamilton
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package aired on the Kevin Owens-Roman Reigns angle last week closing with Reigns beating down Owens backstage and then talking through the camera to Owens’ family, threatening to take the food off the table if they don’t talk sense into Owens.
-As the camera panned ThunderDome, Cole introduced the show.
-Owens made his way to the ring to his music, walking past tables, ladders, and chairs in the aisle and around ringside. Owens said he had a talk with his family over the past week, and he instructed them to not watch their match on Sunday. He said it’s not because he expects Roman to beat him up, but rather he fears what his family will think of what he does to Roman in the ring on Sunday. Owens said if Roman’s kids judge him by his actions of the last few weeks, they’ll see their dad is nothing but a hypocrite. He said it’s pathetic he uses his family members as pawns. He said he knows that Reigns knows he’s a coward.
Paul Heyman was shown on the big screen telling someone off camera to put him on the big screen. He said he made a mistake about Owens. He said last week on Talking Smack he characterized Owens as a masochist. He said Reigns is a sadist. He said his mistake is that Owens isn’t a masochist, but rather he’s a martyr. He said he’s willing to pay any sacrifice for the cause of being the Universal Champion. “That makes you a very dangerous competitor,” he said. “That means mutilation won’t stop you, Kevin, so you need to be eliminated.” Owens told him none of those things will happen, and he’s heard enough of his b.s. He said if Reigns won’t come out to meet him, he’s going backstage to look for Reigns. [c]
-Adam Pearce was pleading with Owens to wait until Sunday. Owens tried to barge into Reigns’s locker room. The door was locked. Reigns’s music played and he and Heyman began walking to the ring. Graves said that, as usual, Reigns and Heyman were a step ahead of the rest. Owens watched on a monitor backstage and shook his head. Cole talked about the rules of their TLC match on Sunday.
When they entered the ring, Heyman handed Reigns the mic. Graves said he doesn’t think there’s a man walking the earth right now who can take down Reigns. Reigns said he doesn’t want to hurt Owens or his family. He said he’s telling everyone he’s a bad guy, but he’s not a bad guy. “I’m just doing the things you have to do to be thee guy,” he said. He told Owens he can’t understand that, and that’s fine, but he should stay in his lane. He said he wants to show him he’s a good guy. He told him he will give him the same chance he gave to his flesh and blood – acknowledge him as his Tribal Chief and the head of the family table and he will move on from him. Reigns said if he can’t, he will end him and he won’t even make it to TLC on Sunday or even make it to the end of the night. “Tell me the words I want to hear,” he said.
Owens made his way toward the ring. Jey Uso attacked him from behind at ringside. Reigns joined in the beatdown. Graves called it a mauling. The beating continued until Jamie Noble, Pat Buck, Pearce, and other officials and referees ran out.
(Keller’s Analysis: Overall strong start to the show to hype the main event at TLC and give it some extra fire. I would like to hear Reigns add a little something to his promos each week that builds layers or context to his seeming resentment over the pressure he feels and why he’s obsessed with getting validation via acknowledgment. Showing Heyman demanding someone put him on the big screen is the kind of detail work I really like. It explains why he’s suddenly appearing on the big screen. It makes it seem less scripted and produced and more chaotic and impromptu. Owens is good with any material, and this material was decent and he raised it to good.)
-Cole hyped the Smackdown Tag Team Title match up next. [c]
-They replayed scenes of the Reigns and Uso attack on Owens. Graves said Owens got what was coming to him.
-Jey Uso told Reigns that Owens got the message and understands now. Reigns disagreed and said he doesn’t understand. “I know his kind,” he said. “He’s not going to listen, he’s not going to stop.” He instructed Uso to take him out because he doesn’t want to see him anymore.
(1) THE STREET PROFITS (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER & ROBERT ROODE – Smackdown Tag Team Title match
Graves said the Profits like to have fun, but their careers are just getting started. Cole said they won the Raw Tag Team Titles back in March and swapped belts with the New Day and have been tag champs since. Ziggler and Roode came out next. Cole threw to a soundbite with Clark Duke who awarded the Tag Team of the Year Slammy Award to the Profits. Cole plugged his upcoming movie. Graves said no one cares what he thinks. Ford took control against Ziggler early. Ziggler took over after a Roode distraction. Ford kicked Ziggler, but then Roode shoved Ford off the top rope into the barricade at ringside. [c]
Ford eventually hot-tagged in Dawkins. The heels took over on Dawkins shortly thereafter. Ziggler hit a Zig Zag for a near fall. He then went for a superkick, but Dawkins blocked it. Dawkins then gave Ziggler a sidewalk slam. Ford tagged in and went for a frog splash. Ziggler lifted his knees, but Ford still made the cover. Roode broke it up. Roode went for a rollup on Ford and Roode yanked on his trunks. Ford powered out and then rolled up Roode and yanked on his tights for the win. Graves said Roode & Ziggler were robbed. They complained to referee Charles Robinson afterward, cornerning him. Robinson yelled back and told them he’s doing his damn job. He told them to back it up and listen to what he’s telling them. He said if they don’t, they will get suspended. Ziggler and Roode backed away.
WINNER: Street Profits in 12:00 to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Titles.
(Keller’s Analysis: Okay match. Not enough offense and exciting moves by the Profits, so it dragged a bit with the Ziggler and Roode methodical offense throughout.)
-Cole plugged Carmella’s Champagne Toast to Sasha Babnks later. Graves plugged Bianca Belair vs. Bayley later.
-Backstage, Pearce continued to plead with Owens to wait until Sunday to settle everything. Uso hit him from behind with a chair, then left. Pearce checked on him. [c]
-Kayla Braxton interviewed Belair in the backstage ring set. She was all smiles and took deep breaths about facing Bayley later. Belair said Bayley isn’t a role model. She said she has always wanted to face Bayley because she is her measuring stick. Belair said Bayley always has something to say. “Tonight I’m going to do what I always do,” she said. “The E-S-T is going to S-H-I-N-E.”
-A soundbite aired with Riott Squad where Liv talked about famous women she’d like to meet including Wonder Woman. She told Riott she wants to meet the real Wonder Woman, not just the actor who plays her on TV. Riott shook her head and smiled.
(2) RIOTT SQUAD (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan) vs. BILLIE KAYE & TAMINA
Kaye introduced Tamina as her tag partner. Tamina threw Morgan around early. Riott tagged in, and Tamina beat her up, too. Billie tagged herself in and scored a near fall after Tamina’s Samoan Drop. Morgan then tagged in, and she and Riott landed a double-team move to easily pin Kaye. The announcers emphasized that the only reason Riott Squad won is because Kaye tagged herself in, because Tamina was about to win otherwise.
WINNERS: Riott Squad in 3:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: This just feels so superfluous. What’s the point of Kaye? Comic relief, right? Fine, but her matches mean nothing. If you beat her, it proves nothing. She doesn’t stand out in the ring, either, and Tamina has been defined down to the point of just taking up space, so it just feels like filler. The Riott Squad soundbite made Morgan out to be a fun-loving idiot, and what’s the point of that? They could be accomplishing something with women’s matches, but other than giving Riott Squad a slight push into tag title contention with a win, this didn’t feel important at all. TV time is more valuable than this.) [c]
[HOUR TWO]
-Carmella and her sommelier were in the ring with a tall table with bottles of wine on it. She pranced around the ring, sang “Deck the Halls,” and said it’s not too early to celebrate. She insulted the viewers at home for sitting on a dirty used futon. She said she’s better than them. She talked up Sasha as being ferocious, but said mentally when it counts, she’s weak. She said she’s not being mean, she’s citing facts. She said this is the longest she’s held a title, and she’s in so far over her head, she’s drowning. She said she’s drowning in the pressures of her own expectations. She said she felt her title slipping through her fingers, so she got herself disqualified last week. She said that’s how she knows she already has her beat. She said that’s why she can celebrate tonight. She said Sasha is going to lose control on Sunday and try to rip her apart, and she’ll fall unto deep dark turmoil to the point that she might break. “Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the Boss?” she asked. She said it’s sad because that’s not a question even Sasha knows the answer to, and that’s why she comes so unglued around her. She said that’s why Banks is so desperate. She said it’s all so sad, so she could use a pick-me-up. She then sipped champagne. She said it tastes “cheap and frantic, kind of like Sasha Banks.”
Banks’s music played. Cole said it’s Boss Time. The sommelier ran up the ramp to stop her, but Sasha entered the ring from the other side and threw the drink in Carmella’s face. She then locked on a Bank Statement mid-ring. The sommelier yanked Sasha off of Carmella. Banks slapped him. Carmella broke a champagne bottle across Sasha’s back and shattered it. Cole said it appears Carmella has the advantage going into Sunday.
(Keller’s Analysis: Carmella is playing this new role role. It feels genuine and believable. Her delivery is solid. The segment might’ve dragged a bit due to the pacing, but all in all, Carmella made you want to see her get beat by Sasha on Sunday.)
-Cole plugged the Sami Zayn Awards Ceremony later.
-Backstage, Jey attacked Owens and slammed him through a table backstage. A referee ran up and yelled at Uso to get out of there. [c]
(3) OTIS (w/Chad Gable) vs. SHINZUKE NAKAMURA (w/Cesaro)
Nakamura took control early. A few minutes in, Otis made a comeback and set up a Caterpillar. Gable stood on the ring apron and told Otis to use a suplex instead. Nakamura recovered and rolled up Otis for a near fall. Otis then gave Nakamura a swing splash in the corner for the clean win. Gable entered the ring and celebrated with Otis. Gable said the Gable Academy paid dividends again.
WINNER: Otis in 3:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: So this is what Nakamura’s WWE career has come down to? He’s the secondary part of an unannounced one-on-one match against Otis? And losing!)
-Sami backstage was all dressed up. He ordered his assistant to shine up the trophies. Sami left. Big E entered and he began snickering about his sinister plans to apparently mess up the envelopes.
-They went to Cole and Graves on camera. Graves said everyone is eager to change the calendar to 2021. He threw to a video of Drew McIntyre’s interview being interrupted by a CGI creature in the shape of 2020. They showed images of various WWE wrestlers landing their finishing moves on 2020 and splatting it over and over, but it kept getting up. The out came a CGI of “2021” which promptly destroyed 2020. Cole said WWE wishes you a happy and healthy new year. [c]
-Sami Zayn stood on the stage in front of a podium for the Sami Awards. He said in recent years, the Slammys have taken a dive. He said it’s been about highlighting corporate favorites, but that’s not what the Sami Awards are about. He said 2020 has been a wild year, so he threw to a 2020 Year-in-Review. It focused entirely on Sami with Graves narrating and celebrating Sami’s accomplishments and biggest victories.
Back to the podium, Sami announced he was the winner of the Comeback of the Year. Then he was the winner of Match of the Year for his match against Jeff Hardy at the Clash of Champions. Next came the Superstar of the Year award. He opened the envelope and read Big E’s name. The graphic was ready to go on the big screen of Big E as the winner. Big E came out and took Sami’s place at the podium and gave his acceptance speech. Sami said that was a mix-up. Big E punched him and rammed him into a table. Big E then held the Slammy trophy in the air, then smashed it on the stage.
(Keller’s Analysis: Sami and Big E were amusing, but this didn’t feel like it was booked by anyone who saw Paul E’s inspirational speech to Big E last week on Talking Smack about conducting himself like a centerpiece top singles star.)
-Kayla backstage was all smiles and commented on the Sami Awards. Then she interviewed Bayley. Bayley said she’s not going to take it easy on Belair. She said she ran track and was the captain of her basketball team in high school, but she doesn’t spent all her time bragging about how good she is. She said Belair has a lot of potential, but she should be more humble. She said she’s going to put her on the map.
-Belair made her ring entrance. [c]
-Cole said the Slammy Awards air next Wednesday at 10 a.m. on WWE Network. R-Truth will be hosting.
-A commercial aired with a clip of Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Session” with Drew McIntyre on WWE Network on Sunday.
(4) BIANCA BELAIR vs. BAYLEY
Belair dazzled and outmaneuvered Bayley with her athleticism. Bayley slipped out of the ring and yanked Belair’s arm over the edge of the ring apron. She then threw her arm-first into the barricade before rolling back into the ring. [c]
Bayley was in control back from the break. Belair made a comeback and went for a top rope move, but Bayley popped up and knocked her off balance. She then set up a suplex. Belair countered into her own suplex. Bayley ducked and dropped Belair face-first onto the top turnbuckle. Then she gave her a spinebuster for a near fall. A minute later Bayley raked Belair’s eyes before finishing her off. Cole said Belair can be proud of herself for taking a former Women’s Champion to the limit.
WINNER: Bayley in 10:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: It’s an interesting twist to be portraying Belair as this rookie underdog aspiring to hold her own in the ring against an established great like Bayley.)
-Cole and Graves hyped the TLC line-up including the Firefly Inferno Match between Orton and Fiend. They said flames will engulf the arena.
-Reigns’s music played and he walked out with Heyman and Uso. Cole said he’d deliver his final message before TLC next. [c]
-Reigns said for the life of him, he’s been trying to understand why if you had the opportunity to be in the ring with him and be on the Island of Relevancy and in the main event of a PPV and in a championship match with Reigns, why would you blow it? He said it’s an opportunity that you’re kid’s kid’s kid’s kid’s kid’s kids would be talking about. He talked about the paydays. Owens’ music interrupted him.
Owens limped out. Cole celebrated that Owens was still on his feet after everything he had been through. Uso charged at Owens. Owens bashed him with a chair. Reigns stood his ground in the ring, but Owens attacked him. Uso caught him with a superkick to block his stunner. Reigns speared him. Reigns bashed Owens with a chair and then slammed him through a table. He continued to beat on him and then piled tables, chairs, and ladders onto him. Graves said they are witnessing the end of KO. Uso joined in. Reigns led Heyman and Uso to the back.
When Reigns, Uso, and Heyman got backstage, Kayla was about to interview them when Uso noticed on the monitor Owens was getting out from under the pile. He tapped on Reigns’s shoulder. They saw KO get up and then walked away. Owens sat up on a chair and said nothing Reigns can do to him will keep him down. He said he will win the Universal Title on Sunday or he will die trying. His music played to end the show.
(Keller’s Analysis: Standard and solid angle to end the show. A brave and determined babyface getting in a few shots before being outnumbered and beaten down. Fans look forward to Owens getting some revenge. He showed signs of life and issues a statement he’s determined to win or die trying. Good stuff. They managed to do what they could to make Owens feel like a worthy opponent for Reigns despite being pretty ice cold just a month or so ago.)
It’s 12/18, not 12/11.
You referred to Sasha as “Bayley” once.