{"id":193394,"date":"2025-03-15T14:17:20","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T19:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=193394"},"modified":"2025-03-15T14:17:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T19:17:20","slug":"5-yrs-ago-wwe-smackdown-tv-report-3-13-2020-performance-center-covid-era-show-with-triple-h-introduction-sasha-banks-bayley-vs-nikki-cross-alexa-bliss-jeff-hardy-vs-baron-corbin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/03\/15\/5-yrs-ago-wwe-smackdown-tv-report-3-13-2020-performance-center-covid-era-show-with-triple-h-introduction-sasha-banks-bayley-vs-nikki-cross-alexa-bliss-jeff-hardy-vs-baron-corbin\/","title":{"rendered":"5 YRS AGO \u2013 WWE SMACKDOWN TV Report (3-13-2020): Performance Center COVID-era show with Triple H introduction, Sasha Banks &#038; Bayley vs. Nikki Cross &#038; Alexa Bliss, Jeff Hardy vs. Baron Corbin, Bryan vs. Cesaro"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2458206426\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><em>\u00a0The following report originally published 5 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>KELLER\u2019S WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN REPORT<br \/>\nMARCH 13, 2020<br \/>\nORLANDO, FLA. AT PERFORMANCE CENTER<br \/>\nAIRED ON LIVE ON FOX NETWORK<\/h3>\n<p><em>Announcers: Michael Cole, Triple H<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>[HOUR ONE]<\/h3>\n<p>-After the WWE branding video, Triple H stood in front of the Performance Center logo. He introduced himself and welcomed viewers, then showed off the Performance Center. He said on any given day, 100 students are training there. He listed Sasha Banks, Bayley, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, and Baron Corbin as having \u201call walked through these doors.\u201d He said tonight they pass through the doors and not to train, but rather to entertain. He said this show will be different than anything they\u2019ve seen before. \u201cSit back, relax, and if you can forget about the world around you and let WWE do what we do. Let us put a smile on your face. Welcome to Friday Night Smackdown on Fox.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>-The AC\/DC Smackdown intro song aired as the camera panned the empty arena and Cole introduced the show. He said it will be a unique show in front of an empty arena. He plugged the return of John Cena to talk about his WrestleMania match against Bray Wyatt, plus Jeff Hardy. He also plugged an interview with Roman Reigns to talk about the \u201cspear vs. spear Universal Title match\u201d at WrestleMania.<\/p>\n<p>-\u201cAnd we kick things off with Boss Time,\u201d said Cole with a little less vitriol. The ring announcer introduced Sasha and Bayley. He said \u201cladies and gentleman\u201d in his introduction, and he meant the viewers at home, not the live audience for once. They went to ringside where Cole sat next to Triple H. Cole said, \u201cAs you can imagine, we are working with a very small crew here tonight.\u201d He said he\u2019d be joined by a number of guest stars, starting with Triple H. Triple H said it\u2019s an amazing opportunity to show the world what they do in a very different way. Sasha and Bayley got to ringside. Bayley said the Role Model and the Legit Boss have arrived. (Noticing here how weird it is for the wrestlers to talk to empty chairs. They should all be addressing the cameras directly at this point or actual people like Cole and Hunter.)\u00a0Bayley addressed Hunter and asked where Paige is. Sasha said she\u2019s late and they\u2019re on time. Cole said Paige has apparently had travel issues. Triple H told Sasha and Bayley he\u2019s sick of Cole\u2019s excuses. Instead, Alexa Bliss walked out with Nikki Cross.<\/p>\n<p>Bliss asked if they love surprises. She said they were expecting Paige, but it doesn\u2019t look like she\u2019s going to be there. Bliss said they called out the Kabuki Warriors, but all they got were some weird tweets that they couldn\u2019t make sense of. She said if they ever stop talking trash about everyone in WWE history, they\u2019re ready to fight them. Nikki got excited about the prospects. Bayley said if they want a fight, they just made a big mistake.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: I feel for everyone involved in this segment, especially Bayley and Sasha Banks having to be pioneers in carrying a segment without a crowd. It was odd when they seemed to address the empty seats rather than the camera. The reality is, they are playing to the cameras now and not the stands, but that\u2019s an adjustment from how they usually are instructed to act. This ended up feeling more disconcerting than I expected at first, as it really sank in how different pro wrestling is going to be during this crisis.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>(1) BAYLEY &amp; SASHA BANKS vs. NIKKI CROSS &amp; ALEXA BLISS<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1424881711\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Triple H said when you\u2019re not feeding off the crowd, it\u2019s a different feeling and there\u2019s a completely different performance level that\u2019s going to take place. He said it\u2019ll be interesting to see who can bring out the fire themselves. Paige and Bayley regrouped at ringside early. Nikki leaped off the steps onto Paige. Bliss slidekicked Bayley into the announce table. They cut to a break. [c]<\/p>\n<p>Cole said it\u2019s a surreal night. \u201cThis is odd!\u201d he said. Triple H said in Vince McMahon\u2019s voice, \u201cWhat a debacle this is, Cole. Ahhhh!\u201d Then he added, \u201cThat\u2019s my best Vince McMahon.\u201d They actually cut briefly to the announcers away from the action in the ring. The match continued. (I wonder if they considered having the wrestlers in training who are at the P.C. regularly to occupy seats in the crowd, with proper social spacing, to provide some atmosphere.) Cole talked about Promo Class run by Dusty Rhodes, and that when Bliss was training at the P.C., all of them at that time knew Bliss was going to be a star. Triple H imitated Gordon Solie briefly. He said he needs Mauro Ranallo to help him with some pop culture quips. Cole cackled and said, \u201cYou\u2019re a little too old for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Triple H talked about Sasha and Bayley revolutionizing women\u2019s wrestling. He talked about walking past a Takeover poster with them on it when they sparked the revolution. Cole said it was one of the most classic match-ups. Bayley complained of an eye injury. Asuka ran out to ringside and threw Biss into the ringpost. Banks then put Nikki in the Bank Statement and she tapped out. Sasha\u2019s music played.<\/p>\n<p>WINNERS: Banks &amp; Bayley in 12:00.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: I\u2019d recommend more bells &amp; whistles to enhance the viewing experience. With proper social spacing and not expanding the skeleton crew, anything they can do to add more energy to a match with people at ringside or in the stands besides two wrestlers working a \u201cWWE style\u201d that is so typically geared toward playing to crowds would help. This was strange to watch. It\u2019s really clear how important playing off of fans is to what WWE wrestlers do.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-They went back to the announcers at ringside. Cole said it\u2019s been a lot of fun, but then told Triple H he has a lot of business to tend to in order to get through the night. Hunter said he\u2019s not very good at this, so he\u2019s going to leave it to Cole \u201ceven though a lot of people think you\u2019re not very good at it.\u201d Cole laughed \u2013 seemingly genuinely, to be fair \u2013 and transitioned to plugging the Reigns interview. And it\u2019s \u201cExclusive!\u201d (It\u2019d still amazing how WWE scores all these big exclusive interviews with their Superstars!) [c]<\/p>\n<p>-Back from the break, they showed the exterior of the Performance Center.<\/p>\n<p>-A video package aired of Goldberg two weeks ago asking \u201cWho\u2019s next?\u201d and then Reigns coming out with a staredown.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2581602811\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>-Cole introduced Roman Reigns. He walked out and looked around at the empty seats like he looks at the crowd. They kept going with a camera angle where they catch the back of another guy\u2019s head. It was strange hearing his music without boos. Cole and Reigns fist-bumped (setting a solid example by avoiding the handshake). Cole asked Reigns, \u201cHow weird was that?\u201d Reigns said, \u201cI mean, we\u2019re in a businesss based out of reactions and filling seats and making people loud and stand up. It was weird, but it\u2019s good to be back in the Performance Center.\u201d Cole asked about his past year. Reigns said there\u2019s been highs and lows, but ultimately no matter what happens, as long as he has his health and is able to wake up and participate in the next day, that\u2019s what\u2019s been driving him all year. He said he finds himself in familiar territory being \u201ctowards the main event.\u201d Cole said a lot has happened over the last year, and there have been a lot of critics saying that he put himself in the main event at WrestleMania and he doesn\u2019t deserve it. Reigns said he\u2019s been dealing with critics his whole career. He said if he can main event Youngstown, Ohio in front of 5,000 people and other cities every night, why can\u2019t he capitalize on all of that hard work. He said he\u2019s busted his ass night in and night out. \u201cThere\u2019s nobody here who has that level of commitment I have,\u201d he said, sounding like he\u2019s turning himself heel. \u201cWhen it comes down to it, I literally came back as fast as I could in order to do what I love. So now that I\u2019m here, I\u2019m not bowing down to anybody and I\u2019m taking what\u2019s mine and I\u2019ve done everything to deserve what I get.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: Man, that was a capsule of obliviousness that is a big part of why he\u2019s been booed for years and hasn\u2019t been able to adjust so often. He just explained why he deserves a main event in a way that\u2019s completely disconnected from the storylines. The criticism of him main eventing WM isn\u2019t because he doesn\u2019t deserve it in real life; people are critical of the booking within the storyline that instead of winning the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber, he just walked out and was granted the shot. How does he or the people coaching him not see the vast and vital difference between these two approaches? And then bragging that\u00a0nobody is as committed as him just comes across as arrogant at the expense of his colleagues. This was another\u00a0one of those completely un-self-aware tone-deaf segments with him that he\u2019s had on various off-TV interviews over the years.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Cole said they are billing the match as spear vs. spear. Cole said on their digital morning show, The Bump, Goldberg said he\u2019s going to bulldoze him. Reigns smiled and said Goldberg went to Georgia, so he\u2019s not sure he\u2019s smart enough to operate a bulldozer. \u201cSeriously, though, I have a lot of respect for Goldberg,\u201d he said. He said their job is filling seats, and he\u2019s done a good job of that and he\u2019s an icon. \u201cBut he\u2019s a part timer, man, and we don\u2019t have time for that here. I\u2019m a full time performer and I\u2019ve dedicated my life to this craft\u2026 I was bred for this, born for this. I\u2019ve been groomed since I was just a little boy. He doesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s in for. This ain\u2019t about one move. I have mastered the nuances of performance. I\u2019ve busted my ass week in and week out and the experience I have shows it. So when it comes to the main event of WrestleMania, I\u2019m going to whoop Goldberg\u2019s ass. I\u2019m taking back my Universal Championship and I\u2019m going to set this place right.\u201d His music played and Cole talked about their match again.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: That was awful, and a capsule example of so much of what\u2019s just so screwed up about WWE\u2019s approach to conveying what they do within the narrative of their shows. Reigns talks about whooping Goldberg\u2019s ass, but then he muddies his message by talking about \u201cmastering the nuances of performance.\u201d WTF does that have to do with winning a match? The business is all about putting people in seats? Isn\u2019t the purpose of his business to \u201cwin matches\u201d within the narrative of this show? It\u2019s this incomprehensible mish-mash of kayfabe and meta talk that is just so unpleasant and disengaging.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of &#8220;Acknowledging WWE&#8221; with Javier Machado, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/acknowledging-wwe-wrestlemania-top-ten-look-back-cadet-adams-look-back-at-10-builds-to-wrestlemania-full-of-excitement-and-chaos--64872871\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cpwtorch\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=64872871&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>-They went to Kayla Braxton backstage. Cesaro interrupted her and introduced Sami Zayn as the new Intercontinental Champion. He nicknamed him \u201cThe Untouchable Sami Zayn.\u201d Braxton said they\u2019ve been bumped from this segment. Sami said that would normally enrage him, but they have celebrating to do. In walked Jeff Hardy. He said it feels so good to be back. He said he\u2019s as happy and healthy as he\u2019s ever been. He said he\u2019s searched his soul and said he has a lot more to do. In walked Baron Corbin who said not everybody\u2019s happy he\u2019s back. He said some things have changed. He said he\u2019s a benevolent king. He asked if he\u2019s going to recite the alphabet backwards or maybe close his eyes and touch his finger to his nose. Hardy said he has a match and he\u2019s surprised he hasn\u2019t heard. Corbin asked against who. Hardy said it\u2019s against him. In walked Elias with his guitar. He said he has a song for him based on what he said about him last week. He said he went ahead and wrote a song about the whole thing. Corbin said he doesn\u2019t have time for this. He walked out as Elias began strumming. Elias said, \u201cHe\u2019s got no idea what\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: Baron Corbin\u2019s performance as a heel in front of live fans is pretty decent; I wouldn\u2019t go much further than that. But when he\u2019s backstage acting without a crowd present, he\u2019s in the bottom five percent of anyone I\u2019ve ever watched. His reciting of his awful, unnatural, implausible scripted lines is \u00a0\u2013 and I don\u2019t say this flippantly \u2013 Vince McMahon\u2019s \u201csports entertainment\u201d at its worst. This was that. Are we supposed to believe with a skeleton crew Corbin showed up ready to wrestle, but Hardy was told he was wrestling Corbin but Corbin wasn\u2019t told? Why not create a backstory on that if they insist on such a needlessly stupid moment that required Corbin\u2019s bad acting to sell it? They could have shown Corbin arriving late. He could have said he was busy with something else and just came out of his locker room after being holed up for an hour. But instead, it was just contrived with no attention paid to having it seem even slightly believable to anyone over age 9. Then when Elias strummed in, it started to feel like a Sesame Street skit. Again, just WWE at its worst.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-They plugged that they\u2019d present the Elimination Chamber Tag Team match next.<\/p>\n<p>-They went back to Cole and Triple H at ringside. Cole said they hear all the time about how busy Hunter is, yet he\u2019s back. Triple H said he is the only man in the world who can get demoted and get busier. Hunter said it only took one comment on the show begging for him to return and save the show, so he\u2019s back. Cole laughed and said, \u201cI guess we\u2019re going to shoot tonight.\u201d (Cole and Hunter seem to have a genuine appreciation for each other.) They reviewed Daniel Bryan beating Drew Gulak at EC.<\/p>\n<p>-Backstage Bryan said he\u2019s been looking all over for Drew. Drew tried to walk away. Bryan said when he told him he had holes in his style, he didn\u2019t believe him. But when they got in the ring, Drew countered everything he had and he had never experienced that before. He said a week after their match, his neck still hurts. \u201cI\u2019m willing to learn, are you still willing to teach?\u201d Gulak pondered the offer when Sami walked up to him with Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro. Sami gloated about becoming the IC Champion after pinning Braun Strowman, and there he is, a shell of his former self after having been chewed up and spit out. \u201cYou\u2019re reduced to asking for wrestling tips from a nobody,\u201d he said. Bryan stepped toward Sami, but Cesaro got in his way. Bryan said his issue with Sami. Cesaro asked if he has a problem with him. Bryan asked if that was a challenge. Sami said it sounds like it. Bryan told Cesaro to meet him in the ring. Gulak noted that Sami called him a \u201cnobody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: Although it\u2019s a bit of a stretch to think Bryan would think Gulak really could teach him something, this did seem to be a possible course of this storyline and if it ends up with those two as a team, matched against the right heels, it could lead to some good matches. Gulak, like Buddy Murphy, deserved better than he was getting over at 205 Live in terms of exposure and appreciation, because he is so good. This gives him that spotlight.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-Cole asked if they can make Bryan vs. Cesaro official. Hunter said, \u201cAfter a promo like that from Shinsuke Nakamura, absolutely you can make it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>-They cut to the Elimination Chamber Tag Team match from this past Sunday. They went to a commercial after the big spot by Gran Metalik leaping off of the pod onto Kofi Kingston and Big E. [c]<\/p>\n<p>They cut to another break few minutes later after Big E broke up a cover on Kofi by Miz. [c]<\/p>\n<p>-They went back to Cole and Hunter at ringside. Cole said, \u201cThe world indeed is watching.\u201d He touted that they are the no. 1 trend on Twitter. Triple H joked that Cole went to the bathroom and \u201cfortunately we haven\u2019t been affected by that run on paper, you know what I\u2019m saying.\u201d Cole laughed and threw back to Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<h3>[HOUR TWO]<\/h3>\n<p>-The EC match concluded 15 minutes into the second hour.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: If roughly a million people saw this already, more than half the usual Smackdown audience didn\u2019t see this yet. And those who did see it might want to rewatch it, as it was quite a match. This could be a window into what they have planned going forward \u2013 supplementing the fan-free studio with the high-energy big-show vibe of\u00a0some of their standout matches of recent times or distant past. The key I think is to augment the replay with fresh commentary, including perhaps patching in wrestlers in past\u00a0classics to comment from home with a picture-in-picture set-up. WWE can splurge for some nice USB mics for wrestlers at home without them.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>-Miz and John Morrison sat mid-ring and bragged about themselves. Miz talked about there being Oscar buzz for his new kids\u2019 movie, \u201cMain Event.\u201d Morrison seemed to doubt a kids\u2019 movie could win an Oscar. They took a dig at Orlando and celebrated together. Morrison said they don\u2019t need a fancy sing-along like New Day or Usos. \u201cWe\u2019re not here to pander to a bunch of cheering fans,\u201d said Morrison. \u201cWe are here for us and we\u2019re here for these.\u201d They held up their tag belts and called themselves winners. \u201cBe jealous!\u201d they said before singing \u201cHey hey, ho ho, Miz and Morrison!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: This was okay. It wasn\u2019t particularly long, and they have done backstage segments before and are used to playing without instant crowd feedback.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-Cole plugged Cena would be there later to talk about his match against The Fiend. Then Cole plugged that they\u2019d address the rumors about Rob Gronkowski tonight.<\/p>\n<p>-Bryan\u2019s ring entrance took place with Gulak. They did the \u201cYes!\u201d chant together. They went to Cole and Hunter at ringside. Hunter said it\u2019s amazing how comfortable Miz and Morrison were. Cole told Hunter not to talk over the ring announcer. Hunter said he didn\u2019t go to announce school then continued. He said it\u2019s as if Miz and Morrison are used to getting no crowd reaction.<\/p>\n<p>-A commercial aired for Raw hyping the A.J. Styles-Undertaker contract signing. [c]<\/p>\n<p>-Cole thanked \u201cThe Weeknd\u201d for the \u201cBlinding Lights\u201d theme song for WrestleMania. Cole sat alone at the table and Hunter held up a camera. Hunter said they\u2019re shorthanded so they can\u2019t all have one job and not be very good at it and still have a job 30 years later. Cole asked another camera guy not to shoot his bald spot. Cole said his career started with Hunter and DX giving him wedgies and now look at him.<\/p>\n<p>-Cole threw to their special contributor Ryan Satin addressing the Rob Gronkowski rumors. He said he is near signing a deal. They showed various headlines from media outlets. Cole said the question is whether he\u2019ll sign as a WWE Superstar. Mojo Rawley joined Cole and Hunter at ringside. He said he is there to confirm the rumors are true. He said nothing is officially signed, but next week live on Smackdown, he will be there and he\u2019ll talk about everything that\u2019s on his mind. Cole adjusted Mojo\u2019s mic because he was so hyper he kept jostling it. He then got in Cole\u2019s space and shoved him around. (SOCIAL SPACING, PEOPLE!) Cole asked Hunter if he gets a bonus after that. (He gets a COVID-19 test for free, I hope.)<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: Seriously, I got angry watching Mojo completely disregard Cole\u2019s personal space in a way that was not only obnoxious, but dangerous in these times. He\u2019s so needlessly over-the-top to the point of being one of the least appealing people in the world to watch on TV when he gets like this. Everyone seemed irritated by his frenzied disregard for the placement of the mic on the headset. Just calm the f\u2014 down and talk about Gronk with some composure and dignity. Geesh.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>(2) CESARO (w\/Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn) vs. DANIEL BRYAN (w\/Drew Gulak)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sami joined the commentators at ringside. Cole talked with Sami about his win over Braun. He called him out on bragging that he beat Braun \u201csingle-handedly.\u201d He asked if he\u2019d defend the title with honor. Sami instead complimented Cesaro\u2019s early flurry of uppercuts. [c]<\/p>\n<p>Back from the break, the announcers joked about how the script changes every Friday at the last second. Bryan then suddenly rolled up Cesaro with a small package to win.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: Bryan in 6:00.<\/p>\n<p>-After the match, Nakamura attacked Bryan. Gulak made the save and put Cesaro in the Gulak sleeper. Sami joined in the beatdown as the ref yelled at them. Another ref came out and ordered the heels to leave.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: What, no tag match?)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-Hunter used a black marker to turn Cole\u2019s grey soul patch darker. Cole plugged Hardy vs. Corbin. [c]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(3) JEFF HARDY vs. BARON CORBIN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Elias joined Cole and Hunter at ringside. Corbin attacked Hardy before the bell. The announcers disagreed over whether the bell actually rang. The ref checked on Hardy to be sure he was okay and signaled for the bell and the official start of the match. Hunter said Elias missed the class at the Performance Center when they explained what the bell ringing means. Cole talked about Hardy telling Renee Young on \u201cWWE Backstage\u201d about his road back to WWE and overcoming his demons. Elias said Hardy\u2019s been so resilient his entire career. Elias distracted Corbin with his guitar playing. That opened up Hardy for a comeback with a Twist of Fury and a Swanton Bomb for the win. Hunter told Elias not everyone has the skill to play so badly, it can knock out a man in the midst of a match.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: Hardy in 3:00.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: The difference between Hardy\u2019s return here and what could have been a big high-energy emotional moment in front of a big crowd is a warning about how flat a Drew McIntyre title victory over Brock Lesnar might be in an empty venue next month if that\u2019s what WWE does.) [c]<\/em><\/p>\n<p>-Hunter stood on the platform inside the Performance Center. He said he hoped everyone enjoyed this \u201chistoric\u201d episode. He said due to \u201ccurrent conditions, the most important part of what we do, the WWE Universe\u201d isn\u2019t there. He said they aren\u2019t in attendance, but they are \u201chere.\u201d He pointed at his heart. He said it hasn\u2019t stopped the WWE Superstars from pouring their hearts out and performing every night. \u201cWe have truly earned the right in WWE to put the words at the top of the show we do every show \u2013 \u201cWWE, Then, Now, Forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>-John Cena came out to his entrance theme. He held up his \u201cNever Give Up\u201d towel. He said to the people at home he can\u2019t wait to get back together with them soon. He entered the ring where Cole stood with a mic. Cole asked if he\u2019s ever been through anything like this. Cena gave a shout-out to everyone watching on Fox. Cole explained how Bray Wyatt said losing to him at WrestleMania caused the downward spiral in life that led to The Fiend. Cena said he won\u2019t accept being blamed for his failure. He said it\u2019s a long list of names of people who have said that about him on the Internet. He said it\u2019s a lazy attitude. He said Bray got lazy and gave up and blamed him for it. He said Bray\u2019s biggest enemy is Bray Wyatt. He asked why nobody says that about him. John said he has won a lot, but he\u2019s also suffered monumental losses. He talked about big losses to C.M. Punk, The Rock, RVD, Miz, and Undertaker. He said after all of those setbacks, nobody ever says he\u2019s buried. They know when he loses, he doesn\u2019t blame himself. He adapts and gets back to work. Cena said some people get lazy when the work gets too hard and blame everyone but themselves. He said when someone blames him, he gives them an Attitude Adjustment.<\/p>\n<p>They replayed a brief clip of Cena two weeks go on Smackdown. Cole then asked why he would try to antagonize Wyatt. Cena said he accepted a challenge. He said WWE should invest in its future, but he doesn\u2019t think Wyatt is the future. He listed Drew McIntyre, Tomasso Ciampa, Matt Riddle, Rhea Ripley, and Velveteen Dream. \u201cWhy on earth do we continue to give fifth and sixth chances to people who, when times get hard, they say \u2018what about me\u2019 and not \u2018how can I help you.\u201d He wants to invest in people who earn it each and every single day. He said he accepted Bray\u2019s challenge so he can take him out of the equation. He said it will be physical, gruesome, and uncomfortable to watch. He said it will accomplish what should\u2019ve happened six years ago \u2013 ending the most overhyped, overvalued Superstar in WWE\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p>Wyatt showed up at ringside and said it was riveting. He walked toward the ring and said it\u2019s good to see him despite him saying mean things about him. He entered the ring and patronizingly said he\u2019s doing great as a big Hollywood star \u201cwith big muscles still.\u201d He said most of them can\u2019t imagine what it would be like to be John Cena for just one day. He said he does have him all wrong, though. \u201cI\u2019m not sick, you are,\u201d he said. \u201cI know why you came here, John, and I know why you can\u2019t say no. You don\u2019t really think we believe you care about the future.\u201d He said Cena cares about himself, no matter who he has to smash or bury along the way. He said he just wants the spotlight. \u201cYou crave it like an addict,\u201d he said. \u201cYou Fiend for it.\u201d He said six years ago at WrestleMania, Cena took something from him. \u201cI thought about it a lot,\u201d he said. He said he wanted to push his hands into his skull and push his brains into a million pieces so he\u2019d have some peace. \u201cThen something magical happened,\u201d he said. \u201cOne day I stopped fighting the voices and I started listening to them.\u201d He let out a sinister laugh. He said they took his crooked little world and turned it into a majestic funhouse. \u201cYou broke me, John,\u201d he said. \u201cBut The Fiend, he put me back together. And at WrestleMania, it\u2019s going to be a slaughter.\u201d He stared a hole in Cena up close and said, \u201cYou just don\u2019t know it yet. Let me in, John.\u201d John stared back. The Fiend flashed on the screen and the show ended.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Keller\u2019s Analysis: I liked that segment at the end. Had some ups and down, for sure, and it was strange to see Bray outside of the Firefly Funhouse setting. I\u2019m on board with the backstory of Bray doing to a dark place after his loss to Cena years ago at WrestleMania and then manufacturing The Fiend out of that darkness to cope. I\u2019m not sure how well it holds up to detailed scrutiny, but it\u2019s something to explain the Bray\/Fiend dual personality gimmick and add some\u00a0fuel to this match-up. Cena was so much better\u00a0than Roman Reigns here. Cena telling the story of losing a lot yet picking himself up and not letting it define him that he lost is a\u00a0genuinely good message, and Bray is handling\u00a0adversity with a pity party that is worth Cena\u2019s scorn.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS:<\/strong> I think there is a lot of room for tweaks, but I came away from this thinking this is reasonably sustainable for the next several weeks or months. That said, the novelty aspect could wear off relatively quickly and the zero-fan-response aspect of the matches could make matches decidedly less engaging and end up leading to viewers peeling off in significant numbers over the next several weeks. I do think there are ways to improve this format and the set to lead to a better show. Turning down the lights on the empty seats would go a long way toward that.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (3\/14) - WWE Smackdown w\/cohost Chris Lansdell\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h8MuruGc95Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2898302532\"><div id=\"pwtor-2964284997\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>\u00a0The following report originally published 5 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com\u2026 KELLER\u2019S WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN REPORT MARCH 13, 2020 ORLANDO, FLA. AT PERFORMANCE CENTER AIRED ON LIVE ON FOX NETWORK Announcers: Michael <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/03\/15\/5-yrs-ago-wwe-smackdown-tv-report-3-13-2020-performance-center-covid-era-show-with-triple-h-introduction-sasha-banks-bayley-vs-nikki-cross-alexa-bliss-jeff-hardy-vs-baron-corbin\/\" title=\"5 YRS AGO \u2013 WWE SMACKDOWN TV Report (3-13-2020): Performance Center COVID-era show with Triple H introduction, Sasha Banks &#038; Bayley vs. Nikki Cross &#038; Alexa Bliss, Jeff Hardy vs. Baron Corbin, Bryan vs. Cesaro\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-193394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-specialfeatures","category-exclusives_flashbacks"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/HardyJeff_artTB_3x2_600.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193394"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":194524,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193394\/revisions\/194524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}