Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins (for the first pick in the WWE Draft)
The crowd at Smackdown in Las Vegas is up for both The Big Dog and the Universal Champion but not tearing the roof of a packed house. We get a little bit of that “augmented reality” with a 3D graphic of Roman’s logo during his entrance. A healthy show of respect between the former Shield brothers as Corey Graves and Michael Cole hype that the draft is between USA and FOX execs and not RAW/Smackdown GMs.
Some fundamental counter mat wrestling to start off but both men have each other so well scouted that neither can manage much offense. It’s Seth gets frustrated first, getting up in Roman’s face. He shoves back and Seth cracks him one to the jaw. Roman is always down to trade punches and gives him one right back… right in time for commercials.
Roman gets out of Seth’s chinlock to attempt a vertical suplex but Seth knees himself out of the inversion table. A little more mat work until Roman powerbombs his way out of an armbar. Seth gets him outside and hits two suicide dives up against the announce table, a flying knee to the head, and a frog splash but can’t get the pin. Seth misses with the stomp and they trade strikes until Seth hoists Roman up for the buckle bomb! Roman uses the rebound for a Superman punch and a two count.
Roman recovers and telegraphs the spear. Seth counters into a short Pedigree and prepares for the stomp as the crowd chants to “Burn! It! Down!” But the lights go out and The Fiend tears through the canvas from underneath the ring! He holds Seth in the Mandible Claw and drags him underneath the ring. The lights come back on and Seth crawls back out, gasping for air. The lights go out again and we see The Fiend standing on the entranceway.
This is an apparent “No Contest” (they seem to love that for Seth these days.)
Reaction: This was a good match but The Fiend coming in helps to protect Roman and Seth and get some of Bray’s mojo back after the Hell in a Cell debacle.
We get a peek into the sterile-looking FOX WWE Draft “war room” where a pool of analysts pouring over data on their laptops and mobile devices are being supervised by a giant robot around a huge meeting table. Then we cut to the USA war room where they’re using white boards and photorefrenecs at a dimly-lit table littered with fast food and coffee mugs. The announce team replays the events from our opening match and it seems that this will be a win for Seth Rollins (and therefore RAW on USA) via disqualification … which I guess it could be. @#$% it. It’s wrestling.
Cole and Graves go over the rules of this year’s draft, which begins tonight on Smackdown in Las Vegas, while hyping The Fiend’s status as a draft pick. The first pick is going to be announced by none other than … Stephanie McMahon (because of course it will). Steph cues the crowd by saying she’s disappointed in no booing and announces the number one pick as The Man, RAW women’s champion, Becky Lynch!
Using the 3:2 ratio for RAW (being the longer show) we see them picking The OC (bundling United States champ, AJ Styles with The Good Brothers like they’re home & auto insurance) and Drew McIntyre. Smackdown, though, chooses Roman Reigns and… Bray Wyatt!
At the draft reaction table, we see Renee Young and Booker T with guests, Beth Phoenix and Samoa Joe. Booker loves the pick of Roman Reigns and Beth congratulates RAW for picking up Becky Lynch. Samoa Joe tells Renee that he’s glad she’s here, keeping the lights on at her house (!!!) and he’s just as impressed by RAW investing in Drew McIntyre.
Smackdown in Las Vegas get a visit from his royal maj-ass-ty, King Corbin. He says that he will share in his bounty with all of the WWE Universe. Not really, though, he can’t stand the smell of peasant filth. After a commercial break where WWE alum, Brodus Clay/Tyrus, hypes the FOX Nation digital companion to FOX News, he’ll take on… “Shorty Gable?” Did I miss something? Is Chad Gable taking a page out of Tyrion Lannister’s book and “wearing it like armor?”
Troy Aikman and Joe Buck go over Troy’s selection as #1 Draft Pick and that, if he had a signature move, it would be the piledriver. Graves says that, even though Joe Buck is really good at his job, nobody can stand him (just like King Corbin!)
King Corbin vs Shorty Gable
This is a rematch from Hell in the Cell where Gable was victorious with a schoolboy pin after Corbin’s use of his scepter was thwarted by the referee and Corbin took it out on Gable afterwards. Corbin is quick to toss Gable around on the outside. Gable has better luck inside the ring, using his speed and technical skill. Corbin lures him outside, though, and flattens him on the announce table with a chokeslam. Back in the ring Shorty backflips out of a superplex attempt and then manages to counter the Deep Six with a bulldog! Two somersault kicks in the corner and Corbin retreats. Shorty tosses him back inside and hits an oh-so-pretty moonsault for a two count. Corbin hits a corkscrew slam type thingy (seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before) and gets a two count of his own. Corbin goes for The End of Days but Shorty backflips out of that and hits his O’Connor Roll German but Corbin kicks out. Gable’s back is hurting after that and gives out after more German attempts. Corbin almost gets ankle locked but Shorty transitions to pin and it doesn’t take. After a kickout, Shorty walks right into an End of Days that ends his night.
Your winner by pinfall… King Corbin!
Reaction: Did Shorty Gable look bad? Did he seem weak to you? It didn’t seem that way to me. It seemed like he was doing really well against an established winner. He went into the match smaller and got hurt during it but still kept fighting. He was in command of the match until he got caught. Gable got over with this loss. That’s booking.
The FOX Sunday Night panel talk about the draft and who they would take from the WWE Hall of Fame if they could draft.
Back at the podium, Stephanie announces RAW’s picks of “The Viper” Randy Orton, along with Ricochet and Bobby Lashley. Meanwhile, Smackdown chooses, “The Boss” Sasha Banks, and Braun Strowman.
Renee asks Beth if Lashley will keep Lana with him on RAW and she says that, if he does, then RAW got the best of that round. Samoa Joe likes how RAW is alternating between youth and experience with their picks. Booker says that Smackdown is like the New York Yankees and spending to get big names like Braun and Sasha.
We get a recap of Braun Strowman’s recent static with heavyweight boxing champ, Tyson Fury, and the announcement of their match at Crown Jewel. Then, a replay of last week’s premiere of Smackdown on FOX with Brock Lesnar’s defeat of Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Heavyweight Championship and the emergence of Cain Velasquez. They too will face off at Crown Jewel and their match will be for the WWE title.
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come down to the ring with pyro and the WWE title belt secure around the waist of The Beast. Paul Heyman runs down Brock Lesnar’s 2010 UFC Heavyweight Championship loss to Cain Velasquez and says that Brock Lesnar offers no excuses. He lost to Cain at UFC 121 but will conquer him at Crown Jewel. The 619 plays over the house speakers and Rey Mysterio and Cain Velasquez come out. Rey plays some stills from that night, showing a broken and bloody Lesnar being overwhelmed by Cain. Cain tells Brock that he’ll beat him again and switches to Spanish for an audience call/response of “What?” Rey translates that Cain will give Brock “a matching scar on the other side of his face.” Lesnar doesn’t like that and steps forward but Heyman puts a hand on him to hold the reigns.
Reaction: A great segment using the UFC materials and maybe a little pinching or makeup to make Brock’s cheek scar a little more prominent tonight made for a perfect setup and punchline. Heyman did a great job of putting over Cain’s dominant victory in the octagon and Graves made sure to drop the (very legitimate) nickname of “Cardio Cain” to squelch some of the questions about his current day physique some might have.
The FOX Big Noon college football analysis team is out to talk about what it’s like to be a first round draft pick and what Urban Meyer looks for in a prospect.
Awww Sin City!!! It’s a New Day. Yes, it is. Ya boys are out with very special guests, Samantha & Sarah Veilleux. Sarah is breast cancer survivor and, as her main support system, Samantha took her to a WWE show to meet The New Day. Xavier Woods became a friend and supporter as well and The Veilleux twins are presented with matching Susan G Komen Foundation edition championship belts. The excuse themselves afterwards to take on arch-rivals, The OC.
The New Day vs The OC
More augmented reality for The OC’s entrance. Luke Gallows starts out strong and smart by dropping Xavier Woods with a head kick and then attacking Kofi on the apron and taunting Big E. E’s attempt at reprisal involves the ref and gives Karl Anderson and AJ Styles plenty of time to double team Xavier on the outside. Xavier tags in Kofi who goes ham with the leaping chops and a Boom Drop on AJ Styles. Kofi gets a cross body off the top turnbuckle but Anderson breaks it up. All six men scramble until Xavier Woods takes out Gallows & Anderson with senton dive to the outside. Left to their own devices, Kofi and AJ counter each other’s signature moves back-and-forth and left-and-right. Phenomenal Forearm. SOS. Styles Clash. Calf Crusher. Ushigoroshi. Another SOS is a feint for Trouble in Paradise and it connects.
Your winners by pinfall… The New Day!
Reaction: Having Kofi pick up the win and going through that ending sequence with US champ, Styles, takes some of the concern away from if creative will de-push him down to “just being in the New Day.” Meanwhile, The New Day (arguably the best tag team of all time) gets a win over a first round draft pick in the OC.
Next round of the draft is up and RAW takes 5-time women’s champion, Alexa Bliss, to Smackdown’s dismay. Smackdown takes Lacey Evans in response. Kevin Owens is headed to RAW. Smackdown keeps their tag champs, The Revival. RAW’s war room is elated to secure Natalya.
Round four immediately follows up with RAW taking The Viking Raiders and Lucha House Party to Smackdown. Nikki Cross joins her buddy, Alexa Bliss, on RAW. Tucky and Li’ Brother Otis of Heavy Machinery are blue collar solid on the blue brand and that makes Smackdown’s war room happy but the biggest news of this round is Street Profits jumping to Monday Night RAW.
Joe says that RAW is choosing better but Beth thinks FOX has picked better. Booker says that Ricochet tips his scales towards RAW.
Jay Glazer of NFL on FOX offers his thoughts about surprises still to come during the draft. There could be trades. Injured stars like Elias and Samoa Joe are question marks. With the focus on the women’s division, he sees Sonya Deville ready to breakout and outperform her draft placement.
Charlotte Flair(c) vs Bayley for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
Bayley comes out to her usual entrance but grows sullen as she cuts the music and drops her jacket to reveal shortened hair. She picks up some sort of makeshift gardening tool and slices open her wacky, inflatable, arm-waving tube men. The Hugger just died and Bad Bitch Bayley is here.
The bell rings and Bayley starts out aggressive with strikes in the corner. Flair starts to get the better of her on the outside but Bayley turns it around by wrecking Charlotte’s arm against the barricade and her back against the ring steps. She seems pretty pleased with herself when she gets back into the ring and beams for the crowd. That signature smile seems not so sweet now.
Bayley’s brawling and working the arm when we come back from commercial, making full use of the ring ropes to do both. She looks to give Charlotte a stunner through the ropes but Flair pushes her off the apron and follows up with a slingshot tope! Back in the ring, Charlotte works on Bayley’s left knee before booting her out to the floor. The Queen is shown to be bleeding from the mouth but that doesn’t stop her from climbing the barricade and hitting a moonsault on Bayley. Bayley kicks Flair’s leg out and walks up the ropes to get out of a backslide attempt. Perfect position for a Belly-to-Bayley and she nails it but Charlotte kicks out at two! Charlotte drops her as she argues with the referee. Bayley gets her knees up for another moonsault by Charlotte but The Queen lands on her feet like a cat and twists Bayley into a Boston Crab.
Charlotte looks to transition into the Figure Eight but Bayley kicks her headfirst into the second turnbuckle. She uses the ropes to gain leverage but still Charlotte kicks out! Bayley is beyond frustrated and begins raining down closed fists on Charlotte Flair. A back suplex sends Charlotte stumbling into the corner and Bayley follows up with an absolutely vicious-looking running knee. Bayley drags Charlotte to the center of the ring and nails her with the elbow drop but still only gets a near fall. Bayley’s throwing a tantrum and Charlotte seizes the opportunity to hit Natural Selection! Charlotte starts to wrap up Bayley’s legs for a Figure Eight but Bayley grabs two handfuls of hair to pull her in for a small package and a three count!
Your winner by pinfall and NEW Smackdown Women’s Champion… Bayley!
Bayley goes directly to the timekeeper’s area to retrieve her belt and gets on the mic to tell us, “Screw these bitches,” and “Screw all of you.”
Reaction: In some ways, the finish to Smackdown in Las Vegas is as big as the end of last week’s show. Less controversial. Certainly going to receive less backlash. Not going to get mainstream sports news talking so much, either. By wrestling standards, it wasn’t telling all the little Hulksters to go “stick it” but it was something nobody could see happening a year ago. At that time, it seemed that all we wanted was to see Roman Reigns turn heel… but it turns out that there was someone who needed it more.
I was always disappointed and confused as to why “hugger” Bayley, a character that seemed tailor-made to generate money, was thrown on the sacrificial altar at Payback 2017 and kept in second gear since then. Like Sheryl Crow sang, “A Change Would Do You Good,” and doing bad might be the best thing to happen to Bayley in some time.
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