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KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
OCTOBER 27, 2023
MILWAUKEE, WISC. AT FISERV ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON FS1
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves, Michael Cole
[HOUR ONE]
-Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves introduced the show as the camera panned the 10,000 fans in attendance. They talked about People Magazine breaking the news earlier that John Cena’s first singles match since WrestleMania 39 will be at Crown Jewel next weekend against Solo Sikoa.
(Keller’s Analysis: Congrats to the great journalists at People for that scoop!)
-Roman Reigns’s music played and he walked out with Paul Heyman. After about 15 seconds, L.A. Knight’s music played and he walked right past them in the entrance area without acknowledging Reigns or Heyman. Nick Aldis stood, hands on hips, in the ring and nodded and smiled. Graves said Knight isn’t wasting any time trying to get under the skin of Knight. Heyman looked flustered while Reigns gave off the impression he was just brushing off the stunt. Fans chanted “L.A. Knight!” Knight sat at the head of the table. Heyman got bug-eyed and tried to move the table. Knight held on and asked if he’s really going to try to move the table. Knight said it’s time to sign the contract because he ain’t got all night.
Aldis introduced the segment. Reigns sat at the table. Aldis said Knight and his reps already looked over the contract. Knight interrupted and said they know why they’re there. He said the contract means Reigns is going to hand over the WWE Championship to him. He signed it. (Knight is right-handed, in case that had been a mystery until now.) He spun the contract to Reigns. Heyman threw the pen that Knight used away and then pulled one out of his suit jacket for Reigns.
“Hey, idiot,” said Reigns. Fans booed. Reigns told Knight he must be stupid just signing the contract like that. He asked if he’s ever had a contract signing before. He then asked if he’s even had a championship match before. “I didn’t think so,” he said. “So that means you’ve got no clue what you’re doing right now.” He laughed and said he’ll take it easy on him and be real gentle with him. “Alright, sweetheart?” he said, full of self-satisfied smug laughter at his innuendo. The pen Heyman gave him didn’t work, which irked Reigns. Heyman fumbled with it and then it worked. Fans chanted “Roman’s scared!”
Aldis wished them both the best of luck at Crown Jewel. Reigns got up to leave, but Knight said he’s the head of the table at the moment, “so acknowledge me.” Fans roared with “ohhh’s.” Knight said he wants to talk about his first contract signing and first championship match. He said he’s right. He said Reigns said he’d go easy on him. “My god, that’s sweet of ya’,” Knight said. He said if he’s planning to take it easy on him because it’s his first time, he’s already beat. He said he said he’s thinking to himself how after just a single year, he’s sitting at that table about to take his title. He said he climbed so fast, he won’t know what hit him when he walks out of Crown Jewel with his championship.
Knight said he only needs one time. He said Reigns was failing time after time “and busy doing sufferin’ succotash,” whereas he’s been telling everyone who’s game this is. He said there can only be one WWE Champion and only one him and it’s coming up real soon, “and that’s not an insult, it’s just a fact of life.” (There is it!)
Heyman implored Reigns to not let Knight talk to him that way. Knight said he can’t stop being the man they call the mega-star with everybody saying “L.A. Knight, yeah!” Reigns jumped up and tipped the table over on Knight and then stomped away at him in the corner. He kicked the chairs over and threw Knight into the corner through the ropes. Reigns pulled a table out from under the ring and set it up inside the ring. He took his time, giving Knight a chance to recover. Knight blocked a Reigns punch and then attacked him in the corner with a barrage of stomps. As he began to move toward the table, Jimmy Uso charged in and attacked Knight. Reigns rolled to the floor. Knight then ducked a Jimmy swing and dropped him through the table.
(Keller’s Analysis: Knight was really good here in all the ways you’d have predicted he’d be great in this setting if you’ve watched his center-ring mic work over the years as Eli Drake. Having Knight sit at the head of the table and Reigns letting him was a pretty impressive moment for Knight in terms of having an alpha moment four feet from Reigns’s face. Reigns and Heyman are a great pair, and they play off of each other as well as any other wrestler/manager combo over the years, perhaps most reminiscent of Bobby Heenan and Nick Bockwinkel in the AWA.)
-Cole said Reigns knows he’s in for a match a week from Saturday at Crown Jewel. Patrick and Graves hyped the rest of Smackdown.
-Carlito and Santos Escobar made their ring entrance. [c]
(1) CARLITO & SANTOS ESCOBAR vs. THE STREET PROFITS (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins w/Bobby Lashley)
They showed Rey Mysterio watching on a monitor backstage. Graves said Rey has his hands full at Crown Jewel defending his U.S. Title against Logan Paul, so Carlito was happy to step in for him. The Profits came out with Lashley to new music. The announcers underlined what Lashley has done to change the approach of the Street Profits since aligning with them. Cole said Dawkins and Ford don’t care what people think of their changes, they just know they’ve changed their careers for the better.
The bell rang 22 minutes into the hour. Escobar got in early offense. When Lashley distracted Carlito after he tagged in, Dawkins took control. After Carlito flip dove onto both Profits at ringside, they cut to an early break. [c]
Back from the break, they showed a wide angle of the arena as Patrick touted the sellout crowd. At 10:00, Ford countered a back-stabber set-up by Carlito with a roll-up for a near fall. Carlito came right back with a neckbreaker. Dawkins broke up the cover. Escobar knocked Dawkins over the top rope and then tagged in. They showed Rey watching backstage when Logan Paul jumped him. Logan stood over Rey and said all it takes is one punch. Escobar and Carlito saw it on the big screen. Escobar encouraged Carlito to go check on Rey. Escobar dove at Ford at ringside, but Ford ducked. The Profits landed their Revelation double-team finisher for the win seconds later.
WINNERS: The Profits in 12:00.
-Backstage, Heyman presented Reigns with a Green Bay Packers WWE belt. Reigns asked what it was. Reigns wasn’t impressed and asked, “What’s it doing here?” Heyman said he’s going to present it to Knight because it’s the closest he or the Packers will get to a title. Jimmy stumbled in and fell onto the couch in pain. Reigns asked what happened. Jimmy said he ran the play. Reigns said he ran the wrong play. Jimmy said, “Audible, hot route! Right?” Reigns said it was hot. Reigns said if they don’t control this, it’s done. He said he’s got to handle it tonight. Jimmy said he can’t, he’s on injured reserve. Reigns shot him a look. Jimmy said he’s off the injured reserve list if needed. Reigns told Heyman to make the match. Heyman checked to be sure he meant Jimmy vs. Knight. Reigns said yeah, irked by Heyman’s need to ask the question. Jimmy said, “Yeet.” Reigns shook his head and said he doesn’t like that. [c]
-Cathy Kelley approached Logan backstage. She asked what made him sucker punch Rey tonight. Logan yanked the mic away, then handed it back. He said he doesn’t want people to know what his next move is. He said his fist is as big as Rey’s head and said this is why there are weight classes in boxing. He asked if she had another question, but then walked away from her. He passed Kevin Owens in the hallway. He commented on KO wearing a Rey Mysterio shirt. Then Grayson Waller and Austin Theory walked up to KO. They argued over who could punch whom in the face. Jason Jordan and Jamie Noble separated them. KO asked Noble if he could punch both of them at once. As the camera showed Waller and Theory laughing at the very idea of KO punching them both at once, KO returned fist-first into camera view and punched them both with one swing. They both went down.
-Kayla Braxton interviewed Dragon Lee elsewhere backstage. She asked what inspires him when he gets inside the ring. He said he is very happy to be on Smackdown. Cedric Alexander walked up to him and said they haven’t been properly introduced. He said he reminds him of himself when he first arrived in WWE and earned the respect of the fans. He said seeing him has lit a fire underneath him and he’d like a match with him tonight. Lee agreed to it and said it’ll be his pleasure to take him to his limit and beyond. Cedric said, “Good.”
-Graves said, “Get your popcorn ready.” Patrick said, “That’ll be a banger of a match.”
(Keller’s Analysis: They did a good job in a short segment giving a backstory to a match that otherwise wouldn’t have any meaning to the vast majority of fans.)
-As Shotzi made her entrance, they cut to a double-box screen with a clip from earlier of Shotzi thanking Aldis for arranging for her to host Halloween Havoc on NXT. “Just wait until you see my costume on Tuesday. It’ll be ridiculous.” In walked Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, who were dressed up in costumes. After some insults, Shotzi asked to face Green tonight. Aldis said, “Let’s do it.” Shotzi did her laugh thing and left. Chelsea told Aldis, “Strike two!” [c]
(2) CHELSEA GREEN (w/Piper Niven) vs. SHOTZI
Cole said Piper was still dressed like Stevie Nicks. The bell rang 49 minute into the hour. Graves said Shotzi’s ring outfit was made from an authentic straight jacket. Patrick asked how he knows that and Graves said, “Because I asked her.” Green scored a two count a minute in after a Russian leg sweep for a two count. Green complained to the ref. Green landed a dropkick and scored another two count. Green blocked a Shotzi top rope move and dropped her to the mat, then landed a dropkick off the top rope. Green gloated and made a cocky cover, but Shotzi leveraged her shoulders down for a three count. Graves said it has to be considered “something of an upset.”
WINNER: Green in 3:00. [c]
-Cole talked about the Bash in Berlin next August and touted WWE’s big events internationally coming up.
-Cena made his ring entrance. The announcers talked about Cena’s match at Crown Jewel and the special start time of 1 ET. Cena said they are in a sold out arena in Milwaukee and there’s a special feeling in the arena tonight. Fans chanted, “Cena! Cena!”
[HOUR TWO]
He then said tonight the feeling is different and special and serious. He said he’s had a lot of serious moments in his career, but it hasn’t been this serious since 20 years ago when WWE wanted to fire him. He said they have “shared this” for over 20 years. Fans cheered. He said he’s tried to give them his heart and soul and they gave him noise whether he liked it or not. He said they’ve given him their support when he’s needed it the most and, “most important to me,” they’ve given him respect. He said the reason Crown Jewel is so serious is because for the first time in 20 years, he feels he’s in jeopardy of losing their support and respect. (Oh, please.) Fans groaned and said “No!” He said he appreciates that. “We can’t ignore the math, okay?” he said. Fans chanted “You still got it!”
Cena asked, “What if I don’t?” He said if he doesn’t deliver soon, it’s happened 1,000 times. He said he’ll lose the support of the fans and then he’ll lose his chance to be out there. He said he wants to feel their support and keep the ride going. He said there’s only one thing left to do at Crown Jewel – win. He said WWE uses words like “must see” all the time, and Crown Jewel is one of those “must see” occasions. He said for him, it’s a “must win” night. He said the time is now to knuckle up and deliver. Heyman interrupted from the stage.
He said he’s out there with no hustle, no loyalty to anything but the truth, and with respect. Fans chanted, “You suck!” Heyman said based on his past actions, he deserves that. “But not tonight,” he said. He asked Cena for permission to enter the ring. Cena nodded. Heyman offered a handshake. Cena shook his hand and told him to go on. Heyman thanked Milwaukee for “the house.” He thanked Cena for 21 years of sold out shows that he was on. Heyman said when he was G.M. of Smackdown, he picked Cena from OVW as his first round pick. He said he hasn’t let anyone down for 21 years and he’s been like a real-life superhero. He said he’s raised his kids to be more like Cena than him.
He said then came Summerslam against Reigns, and now Cena is no longer the greatest ever. Heyman said Cena is still the greatest of all-time at communication of WWE. He said he has a bond with fans that he can never, ever have. He said he can talk like no one on the planet can talk. He said he could’ve had a great future if he just talked. “I’ve been doing this 100 years and I’m still on top,” Heyman said. “John, you could have been me.” (Hilarious.) Then he added after a pause, “Until you pissed off The Bloodline.”
Heyman talked about how Cena has come back from injuries before, but when Solo hits him with the Spike, he won’t be able to talk anymore. He said that will be taken away from him. He said if Solo takes that away from him, the Bloodline takes him away from his WWE Universe. Fans booed. Heyman said Cena comes out there and says he must win, but the one match he must win he cannot win. Heyman said that’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler. Solo then attacked Cena from behind. He punched away at him and then gave him a uranage. He then delivered the Spike. Cena writhed on the mat, grasping his neck in pain.
(Keller’s Analysis: I love the emphasis on winning and not just putting on a show. Cena just lays it on so thick, though. But fans are behind him, so it’s apparently working for so many current ticket-buying vocal WWE fans. That was one of Heyman’s better promos in a while, and that’s saying something. The line, “You could have been me!” was a classic.)
-Backstage, Knight said The Bloodline should worry about who they’re pissing off, not who’s pissing them off. He told Jimmy he’ll grab “those two little pig tails and ride your ass around the ring until you tell your Tribal Chief whose game it is.”
-Dragon Lee made his entrance. [c]
(3) DRAGON LEE vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER
As Cedric made his entrance, they cut to the clip from NXT of Triple H greeting him after a standout match and offering him a contract after fans were chanting for it. The bell rang 18 minutes into the hour. Graves talked about Cedric captivating fans during the Cruiserweight Classic because of the fan response. Graves said Cedric has paid his dues and has to make the most of this opportunity to get a big win over the highly-touted Lee who is generating buzz after Rey called him the future of Lucha Libre. Cole said Cedric feels he’s been on the bench too long. Cole asked what causes someone to make a connection with fans. Graves said it’s “a what have you done for me lately” business. Cedric slammed Lee on the ring apron. They were both down at ringside as they cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
Back from the break, they showed a wide angle of the arena again, showing the packed upper deck from both sides of the entrance stage. Cedric scored a near fall after a Michinoku Driver at 6:00. Lee leaped off the top rope and delivered a double-stomp to Cedric’s torso. Lee landed a running knee to Cedric’s spine and followed with a float-over Sliced Bread style move for the win. The announcers didn’t call it by an official name. Cedric raised Lee’s arm afterward.
WINNER: Lee in 9:00.
-A clip aired of last week’s main event and the fallout leading to Bianca Belair’s return.
-Belair strutted, skipped, and twirled her way to the ring. Graves said after two months on the shelf due to Damage CTRL, she’s back on Smackdown “and looking better than ever.” They cut to Damage CTRL backstage watching her entrance on a monitor. [c]
-Belair stood in the ring and said she is so excited to be back on Smackdown. They replayed the attack on Belair two months ago. She talked about how her body got stronger when she was out, but her mind was preoccupied with how she’d make Damage CTRL pay. She said when she gets knocked down, she usually gets up, brushes it off, and moves on. She said this time she was consumed with vengeance until she could get back to Smackdown. She said she came up with a plan. She said at Crown Jewel, “your girl is getting her rematch against Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship.” She said she’ll go on to take out every member of Damage CTRL.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was easily among her best promos to date. She was serious and it felt like she was speaking as a real person and not a character with catch phrases and mannerisms that someone else told her to emphasize over and over.)
-Jimmy Uso made his entrance. [c]
-They showed postcard shots of Milwaukee, Wisc. Then they showed some Milwaukee Bucks players in the crowd. They plugged Belair vs. Bayley next week on Smackdown. Also, Rey and Logan will have their weigh-in for their Crown Jewel match. (That’s so perfect since Logan has been going on about weight divisions.)
(4) L.A. KNIGHT vs. JIMMY USO
The bell rang 45 minutes into the hour. Fans chanted “L.A. Knight!” Cole said in this business, you’ve got to strike when the iron is hot and Knight is doing that. Graves asked if he’s just a hot hand at the moment or can he lead WWE into the future. He said it’s a tall, but not impossible task, and Knight seems up for it. Cole said everything changes when you become WWE Champion. He said your pay goes up and demands for your time and appearances increase. Knight landed a sunset backbreaker. Graves touted his creative offense. Knight played to the crowd. Jimmy took over seconds later and suplexed him onto the ring apron. They cut to a break at – you guessed it – the three minute mark. [c]
Back live, they showed another wide shot of the full arena. (They were justified in showing off that crowd like they have been.) Jimmy controlled the action after the break. Knight made a comeback and scored a two count after a DDT. Jimmy rolled to the floor to regroup. Knight went after him and rammed him into the announce desk as fans chanted “Yeah!” each time. Knight leaped off the top rope, but Jimmy ducked. Jimmy then hit a Samoan Drop for a two count. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Jimmy landed a top rope splash a minute later for a two count. He went for another top rope move, but Knight knocked him off balance. Knight leaped to the top rope and superplexed Jimmy and followed with his Blunt Force Trauma for the win.
WINNER: Knight in 13:00.
-As Knight celebrated, Reigns stormed in after him. Knight delivered a Blunt Force Trauma to him. Cole said just like that, that move could lead to a new champion. Knight stood over Reigns as Reigns rolled to the edge of the ring apron and tried to regain his senses.
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