SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
OCTOBER 20, 2023
SAN ANTONIO, TEX. AT AT&T CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON FOX
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package aired on last week’s segment with John Cena, Roman Reigns and L.A. Knight followed by Solo Sikoa’s match against Knight in the main event.
-Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves hyped key plans for the show including Logan Paul calling out Rey Mysterio.
-Paul Heyman stood mid-ring. He said he has some really big shoes to fill in the Bloodline this week. “Did you see what Jimmy Uso did at Monday Night Raw?” He said Jimmy called the play and took the inspiration and motivation from the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, and single-handedly cost Jey Uso “and even closer to my heart, Cody Rhodes,” the Undisputed Tag Team Championships. He asked if everyone had heard the other news from just a few years ago. He said it’s the most read article in the L.A. Times tonight. He said it’s that Reigns will defend against Knight at Crown Jewel.
He told the fans he dresses better than them and makes more money than them, and the commonality is that they are both fans of Knight. He said he has long admired him. He told the fans not to shout “L-A-Knight!” when he’s talking. He said they should all watch that match because it’ll be the last time they see Knight in the ring because he’ll be smashed by Reigns.
Knight’s music then played. He walked up to Heyman and said he’s been making a lot of noise, but he wants to talk directly to Reigns. Reigns didn’t come out. When Heyman tried to leave, Knight insisted he re-enter the ring. He said if Reigns isn’t coming out, where’s his lip now. He asked Heyman to elaborate on what Reigns is going to do to him.
As Heyman began talking, Knight told him to shut up. He asked Heyman if he thinks last week’s spear was a warning shot. He asked if he regrets saying that. He said he’s like Michael Myers, and he’ll keep coming back until he’s the Undisputed Champion. Knight told Heyman that Reigns should just admit he’s scared tbecause he hasn’t seen anyone like him before. Fans shouted “Yeah!” Knight asked if he likes that and told him to do it. Heyman said “Yeah!” Knight said he’s pathetic.
Knight said the contract signing will take place in the ring next week. He told Heyman to make it clear to Reigns “whose game this is.” Fans shouted “L-A-Knight!” He shoved the mic into Heyman’s chest and left the ring. Cole wondered if Reigns’s days as champion come to an end two weeks from tomorrow.
(Keller’s Analysis: They’re doing what they can with this match, which does feel rushed in order to satisfy the fans who are right now really behind Knight and seem impatient about him getting shot to the top. That said, as popular as Knight is, it’s coming across in segments like this potentially that crowds loving Knight weren’t necessarily sold on him being a threat to Reigns yet. That feels like an ongoing head wind here. But I think WWE officials knew that and just decided strike while Knight seemed to be peaking and accept that it might seem premature or overpushing Knight to a lot of people. Knight has shown a little more depth as a character in this story than he had previously, but tonight it was back to catch phrases and inflection and not much else. Heyman’s shift from cockiness to cowardice was the key aspect of this that worked the best.)
-Patrick hyped that John Cena would be on the show later.
-Bobby Lashley gave Montez Ford a pep talk as Angelo Dawkins cheered him on. Lashley told Ford to fight with pride.
-Santos Escobar made his entrance with Joaquin Wilde and Cruz del Toro. [c]
(1) SANTOS ESCOBAR (w/Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro) vs. MONTEZ FORD
Ford took early control and fended off a comeback attempt by Escobar. Ford then looked at the camera and said they’d be back after a commercial break.
(Keller’s Analysis: A gimmick of a wrestler knowing that it’s time for a commercial is a little too cute for me. That shouldn’t even be a thought on a competitor’s mind trying to win a match. To be honest, and WWE would hate this, it seems like something AEW would let one of their wrestlers do.) [c]
Back from the break, they battled back and forth. Escobar eventually went for a Phantom Driver, but Ford blocked it. When Ford climbed to the top rope for a frog splash, Escobar stopped him and took him down with a hurancanrana,
Dawkins pulled Ford to safety at ringside. Escobar went after them and threw Ford back into the ring. Dawkins threw Escobar into the ringpost, though. Wilde and Del Toro went after Dawkins. Ford, meanwhile, rolled up Escobar with a handful of tights.
WINNER: Ford in 9:00.
-Afterward, Ford and Dawkins double-teamed Escobar. Carlito made the save and the heels fled the scene.
-Iyo Sky was shown warming up. [c]
-Carlito was chatting with Del Toro, Zelina Vega, and Escobar backstage when Rey Mysterio walked up to him and chatted. Zelina asked Rey if he wants them with him later when Logan Paul confronts him. He said he’d handle it alone.
-Pretty Deadly were getting foot soakings and speaking about their “clean and definitive win” over the Brawling Brutes last week. They said it was “squeaky clean” and they’d never see them again. Just then, Butch and Ridge Holland attacked them and dunked their heads in the water their feet were soaking in.
-Jimmy Uso gloated to Heyman backstage about calling plays on Raw. Solo Sikoa stood, arms crossed, behind them. Heyman said he talked about it in the opening segment. Jimmy kept gleefully boasting.
-They showed Cena walking backstage. [c]
-Cena made his entrance. He told the fans they were fired up. He said their “Cena!” chant meant a lot to him. He got solemn and said he was given some tough news today. He said Reigns has a long streak of days as champion, but he was informed that he has a streak of 2,002 days without a singles win. He leaned on the top rope and said he’s been thinking a lot about retirement. He said it’s time they face facts because it’s been a long time since he got a win. He went from solemn to fired up as he said he believes in himself and all of them “and the beauty of all this madness.” He said he believes he can still do it and now is the time to turn the math around.
He said it is going to be a bad night “for the next idiot brave enough to walk through that curtain because whoever it is, they’re going to get smoked.” Solo Sikoa marched out. Cole said Cena better be ready. When Solo entered the ring, Cena got the better of him with punches. Jimmy ran out and attacked Cena. Cole called it an “ambush.” Jey showed up, dressed in all black and disguised under a black hood, attacked Jimmy. He took off his hood and threw Jimmy into the time keeper’s area before he was dragged away by referees and officials.
Back in the ring, Solo went for a Samoan Spike. Cena gave him an Attitude Adjustment. Cena’s music played. Cole said he doesn’t think Cena is done quite yet.
(Keller’s Analysis: I guess if you like Cena these days, this is quintessential Cena in motion. He over-dramatizes the news he got, like it’s some health crisis or something, and then reveals that it’s merely being told of how long it’s been since he won a singles match. Then he teases retirement before flipping his mood entirely and declaring he’s not done yet. I find him pretty unbearable at this point.)
-They went to Cole, Graves, and Patrick at ringside. They pivoted to talking about Logan Paul. Graves said Logan dominated his boxing match last weekend before calling out Mysterio. Then they showed Logan arriving in the parking garage reading a newspaper story about his win.
-A commercial for Smackdown hyped the Reigns-Knight contract signing. [c]
-A vignette aired on the “unholy alliance” of Chelsea Green and Piper Niven.
[HOUR TWO]
-Backstage, Nick Aldis told Jey he was fined for his actions. He made it clear Adam Pearce wasn’t welcome there either. He had security lead both of them out of the building. Pearce looked at Aldis and said the games are just beginning.
-Logan made his ring entrance. He said five days ago in England, he beat up a scumbag. He said calling it a fight seems like a disservice to that word. He said he should have known if he wanted more real competition, he could have had another WWE match. He said he got to beat up an Internet troll who hides behind the mask of the Internet. “Speaking of masks,” he said. He reminded everyone he already beat Rey in his first-ever WWE match. “Been there, done that,” he said. Back then, he said, Dominik was still his son, Reigns still used to show up to wrestle, and Knight didn’t even have a job. He said he’s engaged now and has a huge energy drink business.
He said Rey has something that he wants. He said Rey has respect and legacy. He said he doesn’t want their respect and he has his own legacy. He said what he wants is the U.S. Title. He said he needs that. He called Rey a deadbeat dad. Then Rey came out to his music.
Rey said he has a big mouth just like Dom. He said he needs some humbling. He said the last time he had to kick some sense into Dom, he was a little reluctant. He said with Logan, he won’t hesitate to whoop his ass. He held up the U.S. Title and asked if he wants the title. Logan said he does, badly. Rey laid the belt in front of him and told him he’d defend it against him at Crown Jewel. Logan smiled and offered a handshake with a smarmy smile on his face. Rey paused, reached his hand out tentatively, and then shook hands. Logan then smiled and strutted out of the ring.
-Cole and Graves talked about that exchange. Graves wondered if Rey knows what he’s signed up for.
-A sponsored video aired hyping Charlotte vs. Sky.
-Grayson Waller and Austin Theory made their ring entrance. [c]
(2) CAMERON GRIMES & DRAGON LEE vs. GRAYSON WALLER & AUSTIN THEORY
Clips aired of the set-up for this match last week. Cole noted that Lee told him he hadn’t even met Grimes before tonight. They cut to an early break. [c]
Back from the break, Lee tagged in Grimes. Cole called him “gritty.” Lee flip-dove onto Waller at ringside. Grimes landed a turning powerslam of Theory for a near fall seconds later. Waller threw Lee into the time keeper’s area. Waller interfered in the ring leading to Theory hitting A-Town Down on Grimes for the three count.
WINNERS: Waller & Theory.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. They threw to a clip of Triple H introducing Aldis last week as the new G.M. of Smackdown including Dominik and Kevin Owens. [c]
-Jackie Redmond sat down with Kevin Owens for an interview. She asked about him being separated from Sami Zayn. He said it’s tough, but bitter sweet. He said he has some people he has never wrestled who are on Smackdown now including Rey Mysterio. He said that must happen. He mentioned others such as the Brawling Brutes and Sheamus. He asked Redmond who on the Smackdown roster she’d like to punch. She said that as a journalist, she has to be unbiased. He brought up Waller and Theory. She conceded many say they do have punchable faces. KO was pleased. He said he wants everyone who watches Smackdown to know it’s the KO Show.
-Cole noted that Crown Jewel sold out in two hours, but the production crew is working feverishly to open up additional seats.
(3) IYO SKY (w/Dakota Kai, Bayley) vs. CHARLOTTE FLAIR – WWE Women’s Title match
Charlotte made her entrance first. Then Iyo Sky. Then formal ring introductions took place. Charlotte got a mild and mixed reaction. The bell rang 39 minutes into the show. They cut to a break seconds into the match as after Charlotte got in some early strikes and then Sky bailed out to ringside. [c]
Back from the break, Charlotte was in control. Graves said Charlotte was reminding people why she should be champion again. Bayley helped Sky take control. Sky dove through the ropes onto Charlotte at ringside. A minute later, Charlotte got the better of Sky at ringside. They cut to another break. [c]
Back from the break, Sky delivered a sunset bomb off the top rope for a near fall. A graphic noted that Smackdown airs on FS1 next week. Charlotte flung Sky backwards after escaping a submission hold on the mat. Charlotte stayed on offense for a while. They cut to a side shot of the arena and Patrick touted the sellout crowd. Charlotte applied a Boston Crab mid-ring. Sky powered out and leveraged Charlotte down for a two count.
Sky rallied and set up a top rope moonsault, but Charlotte lifted her knees and hit a spear. Bayley put Sky’s boot on the ropes and pointed it out to the referee, who stopped his count at two. Charlotte went after Bayley. She threw Bayley over the announce desk. Cole said Charlotte was ticked off and you can’t blame her. Sky hit Charlotte with the belt when she charged at her back in the ring leading to a three count.
WINNER: Sky to retain the WWE Women’s Title.
-Bianca Belair ran out to save Charlotte from a post-match attack by Sky and Bayley.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This wasn’t an offensively bad or aggravating episode, but it also was as skippable as it’s been in a while. It seemed they were leaning on Logan and Cena to carry things in terms of the “selling points” to tune in beyond the usual stuff, and the Belair run-in at the end to leave viewers feeling like their time was well-invested since there was a newsworthy “return” at the end.
Tonight after WWE Smackdown, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Brandon LeClair to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@pwtorch.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE AND THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.