We start Smackdown Live in Atlanta with a real, live, honest-to-Misawa match!
The New Day vs Randy Orton & The Revival
Xavier Woods & Big E are only slightly less peeved about their loss to new tag champs, The Revival, as The Apex Predator is about failing to end Kofi-Mania. The match starts out with New Day making frequent tags and getting about 90% of the offense but breaking it up into novel sequences that I don’t believe we’ve seen from them before. This continues until Kofi loads up for Trouble in Paradise but #FTRKO take it outside the ring to regroup. Sometime during the commercial break, The Top Guys and The Viper manage to isolate Xavier “Modern Day Morton” Woods. Revival does what they do best (control the pace of the match to maximize drama) and Orton does what he does best (brutalize and demoralize with the utmost cruelty.)
When X manages to finally make the tag, it brings Kofi Kingston in to mow down Orton until Scott Dawson breaks it up. Kofi tosses him out, where he’s crushed by Big E but Dash Wilder catches E with a very pretty tornado DDT by kicking off the ring apron (technically neither a flip nor a fist.) Kofi is ready to take flight on the four men outside but Randy manages to intercept him and swing his feet up onto the middle rope for an impressively smooth rope drape DDT. Dash & Dawson get tagged in for the Super RKO but Woods & E bust it up. Xavier Woods hits the elbow drop just a hair shy of coast-to-coast and Kofi nails Scott Dawson with Trouble in Paradise.
Your winners by pinfall… The New Day!
Ya Boys celebrate in the ring but it is very short-lived for The Beast’s music blares over the PA system! Brock Lesnar and his advocate, Paul Heyman, make their way down the ramp and Kofi Kingston sends Xavier Woods & Big E out of the ring. He’s going to stand next to Lesnar face-to-face like a man (unconcerned with his own safety.) Heyman lays out the challenge. Title match. Friday, October 4th. FOX’s premiere episode of Smackdown. Kofi accepts and is immediately given an F5. Brock holds the belt for a moment before etossing it down next to the limp and twisted form of the champion.
Reaction: First of all, big props to the six-man tag match. We’ve seen some iteration of this match every week for over a month but it was made fresh by the best tag team of this generation in there with two throwbacks who epitomize the term “consummate professionals” and the Randy Savage level of all-around talent that Randy Orton possesses. That alone was worthwhile.
But the aftermath? Randy Orton was the first real test of the office’s faith in Kofi Kingston. Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, and Daniel Bryan were good foils but Randy Orton was a different animal entirely and I think we all were at least a bit hesitant to lay our chips on Kofi’s square at Clash of Champions. Brock Lesnar is the “11” on that dial. Paul Heyman showing upon Smackdown back when Brock held that Boom Box Money in the Bank Beastcase gave instant gravitas to that moment. Tonight, those pancakes probably felt more like bricks than Bisquick in the bellies of the New Day faithful.
Backstage, Kayla Braxton is trying something new with her hair and speaking with Sasha Banks and Smackdown Women’s champion, Bayley. The Boss says that she has Becky Lynch figured for Hell in the Cell since she’s been in one before and The Man hasn’t. Kayla mentions that she has a match with Charlotte tonight and Bayley lets her know that Sasha will do the rest of her talking in the ring tonight.
Michael Cole has an exclusive interview with Erick Rowan. Rowan is pretty insistent about using his full name again. When asked about Luke Harper, he tells Michael Cole to go ask Harper about Harper. When asked about Roman Reigns, he says that he felt the need to give The Big Dog a reality check about his supposed dominance. But when they get to Daniel Bryan, he has Michael watch his tone because Rowan is an intellectual without equal and will no longer be spoken to as or like the follower that “Dan” believed him to be.
Ali vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Sami Zayn comes out to announce the Intercontinental Champion’s greatness. On their way down, Sami addresses Ali directly and distracts him as Nakamura enters the ring. Ali is wary and even makes a pre-emptive strike on Nak but Sami slows him down and Nakamura makes quick work of him with a Kinshasa that puts an end to what probably doesn’t qualify as a match.
The result of this match is a no contest!
Reaction: Not the best use of anyone’s talents but an effective heat device for Nakamura this week.
In the crowd, a spotlight follows a fan getting to his seat late. The Smackdown audience gives him some applause because the fan is none other than the recently fired, Kevin Owens. In the back, Shane McMahon watches on the monitor when a referee informs him that someone is waiting for him. Shane leaves to address Kevin Owens’ presence but runs into that “someone” only to find out that it’s a process server!
Shane-O-Mac accompanies a team of security guards to the ring. After his signature introduction, he calls out KO to come down to the ring and instructs security to get him a mic and let him through. Shane has security step out and announces to the audience that he was just served with a wrongful termination lawsuit to the tune of $25 million by Owens. Kevin then breaks from wrestling tradition by explaining the actual linear continuity of how Shane fined him for roughing up referee Elias but did the same thing to Kevin after losing to Chad Gable. Should Kevin win, he promises to tell Shane McMahon that he’s fired.
In the hallways, Daniel Bryan is alone with his contemplations but, in her dressing room area, Charlotte Flair is with… Wooo!… her dad, the 16-time world champion, Ric Flair!
Rezar and Akam, The Authors of Pain, take a page out of Aleister Black’s book by urging the WWE roster to be man enough to either face them or face the consequences of frustrating them.
In the ring, Atlanta’s own multi-plat hip-hop star, Offset, is out to introduce The Queen, face turn Charlotte Flair!
Charlotte Flair vs Sasha Banks (w/ Bayley)
The Queen is out to an early and commanding lead with kicks, stomps, and a suplex. When she catches Bayley attempting to remove the bottom turnbuckle pad, the action goes outside and the distraction of Bayley gets Charlotte a face full of ring post. Sasha takes advantage but Charlotte slowly regains control with sheer power. A cross body is caught and turned into a fallaway slam. A head scissors avoids becoming a powerbomb but gets dropped into a Boston Crab. Big Boot sends Sasha out to the floor and Charlotte climbs up top for a moonsault onto both Boss and Hugger. Back in the ring, they exchange pin attempts until Charlotte has Sasha dead to rights in the Figure Four smack dab in the middle of the ring. Cue Bad Girl Bayley to stomp on Charlotte’s midsection.
Your winner by disqualification … Charlotte Flair!
To fend off the double team, Charlotte gets a rundown assist from … Carmella? Okay. Superkicks for Sasha and a Big Boot to Bayley.
Reaction: A good indicator of the Atlanta crowd was how Charlotte got a bigger pop for her save on Becky Lynch last night than she (or her dad) got tonight. Granted I’m a lame white suburban dad that stopped listening to rap sometime between the death of Ol’ Dirty Bastard and when Lil’ Jon let us know where his sweat was dripping from but I had no idea who Offset was. From the welcome he received, I don’t know if the crowd did either. A real shame too as, when Sasha is on, she is right there with Charlotte as one of the very best women in WWE history. And make no mistake about it. She was on tonight. Brevity aside, these two worked as well as they ever had in the past and enough time has passed that it’s fresh. I was expecting Becky to be the save on this one but I’m sure that day is coming.
The red velvet is on the mat and the throne is in the ring. It’s time for the official coronation of the 2019 King of the Ring, Baron Corbin! Corbin is back in the semi-formal wear as dons the robe and crown. Corbin addresses the crowd’s dislike for him but he asserts that he is what we need and, as he won the tournament with honor, he deserves their respect. He calls out Chad Gable for a show of respect (and tired short jokes.) After a minute or two, Gable’s had enough and he tackles Corbin into the throne and breaks the scepter across Corbin’s back. The king’s robe is ripped and his crown crushed as he dips out of the ring to avoid the rampaging Gable. Up the airy mountain and down the mountain glen, not even the king dares not go hunting for fear of little men.
Reaction: Not the most popular opinion but I think the right guy won King of the Ring. The upside of Corbin is severely discounted.
Heavy Machinery vs The B Team
Tucker and Otis are ramping up their level of competition to take on WWE contractees. Formula followed, however, as Tucker takes the first watch while Otis (looking like a Tolkien character based on Chris Farley in his new European ring gear) bats cleanup. Compactor gits ‘er done.
Your winners by pinfall… Heavy Machinery!
Reaction: These two have great energy in the ring, chemistry with each other, and charisma with the crowds. They are also overdue in being put in a more challenging pace and sequence of match.
Daniel Bryan comes down to address the remarks and actions of Erick Rowan. The crowd chants his name but Bryan reminds them how many of them believed him to be behind the attacks on Roman Reigns. He says that Rowan shouldn’t have felt disrespected and invisible. They won titles together and he treated him as an equal and a friend. This brings out Rowan. He says that he always stood behind Daniel. He was never asked about how he felt. Daniel tells him that, if he feels disrespected, he should do something about it.
He says that Rowan can’t do anything to him physically that could hurt as bad as ending their friendship. Luke Harper puts that to the test by blindsiding the Yes Man. Roman Reigns comes out to make the save and lays out both Bludgeon Brothers but only for a moment. Harper and Rowan powerbomb Roman into the ringpost, tear the mats off the floor, flapjack Daniel Bryan through the announce table, use a section of barricade as a handheld blunt instrument, and leave the arena floor littered with unconscious security guards.
Reaction: Goofy ring gear aside, The Bludgeon Brothers pairing (if not gimmick) got over with their brutal size-based style. Casuals and non-fans to which I showed their dismantling of The New Day were enthralled. That run was cut short by Rowan’s injuries, leading directly into Harper’s disuse and discontent. Fingers crossed that they keep it together this time around… or reconsider the point of not being “followers.”
