Tom “Phillipe” Phillips makes a liar out of me as he immediately addresses the situation in Saudi Arabia where a significant portion of the main roster was significantly delayed and unable to arrive in the United States in time for the show. He is joined on commentary by Aiden English and Renee Young and that is not a bad substitution play at all considering the circumstances. If the Smackdown producers can Belichick their way through tonight, it speaks volumes.
It would make sense that, of the 12-20 top names that reportedly left upon a second charter plane last night from Saudi Arabia, WWE Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar would be one of them. The advocate, Paul Heyman, wants us all to know that “The Beast Incarnate” is really really angry despite conquering Cain Velasquez. Heyman plays footage from their match (pretty much the match in it’s entirety,) showing Brock getting knocked down but securing a kimura lock to get the win. But after this nine-year journey towards redemption was capped by a an F5 onto a chair, Rey Mysterio gets a chance to rescue Cain by chopping Lesnar down with a steel chair like the littlest lumberjack who could.
Heyman says they went to Vince McMahon, owner of the company (“if you don’t know who he is Google him, bitches.”) They wanted Rey to be served up as “a sacrificial pinata” but Vince told them that it’s not possible because Rey is RAW and Brock is Smackdown. Since Rey can’t be brought to Smackdown, Brock is going to go to RAW for his revenge. What’s going to stop him? A network? A CEO? The 82nd Airborne? Are you going to fine, Brock Lesnar? Suspend him? Litigate? Heyman says that his people invented and perfected litigation. (Yeah, he went there.) And he says, with a little bit of Español, that Brock hereby quits Smackdown and is heading to RAW to hunt Rey Mysterio! As The Beast and his advocate walk through the back, a concerned Triple H is shown watching them… and he’s got The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, with him!
Nikki Cross vs Bayley (c) for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
Bayley has Sasha with her so Brock might get around the RAW/Smackdown exclusivity yet. [eyeroll emoji] It’s interesting to note the changes in both characters. A year ago, Bayley was the ultimate babyface and dressed like a Trapper Keeper but no looks like a supervillain. Meanwhile Nikki was always presented as a psychotic Scottish lowlander but now comes off more like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club halfway through her makeover by Molly Ringwald.
Despite receiving an early Tornado DDT on the outside (not good match placement for that,) Bayley is in control to start. Every kickout and attempt to rally by Nikki gets Bayley more fired up. A miscalculation in the corner gets the Scot a chance to roll with a bulldog and cross body. Sasha keeps Bayley from getting sent to the floor and Nikki eats a knee for knocked Sasha away. Bayley’s elbow drop only gets a two count! Nikki starts her comeback but Sasha shoves off the top turnbuckle. Bayley capitalizes with a face-crusher for the win.
Your winner and STILL Smackdown Women’s Champion… Bayley!
Aiden English is playing face to Renee Young’s heel on commentary but he’s not the only one who isn’t loving the finish to that match. Shayna Baszler, the NXT Women’s Champion, takes out Sasha Banks at ringside, kicks Nikki Cross off the apron, and decimates Bayley with a gutwrench and knee lifts! “The Queen of Spades” throws on her signature leather jacket and her NXT championship belt and walks off.
Pat McAfee joins the commentary team, subbing in for Aiden English, and Cathy Kelley is backstage with Sami Zayn. Sami has noticed a pattern in this odd night. Triple H, HBK, Shayna Baszler, Pat McAfee… maybe NXT is trying to take advantage of Smackdown tonight but they better watch it. If one of them were to step to him… And he’s cut off by the presence of Matt Riddle and Keith Lee! He changes his tune immediately. Big fan, apparently. After all, he’s wearing his NXT shirt right… no… no he’s not. He says that it’s in his car but Lee and Riddle follow him out and into the ring. The sandals come off and Sami gets a ripcord knee strike and a “Bro Derek” slam from Riddle. Then the crowd gets bask in the glory of Keith Lee as he hits a moonsault from the second turnbuckle! Bro chants as we head back to commentary.
A call back to Crown Jewel shows us Braun Strowman dominating lineal boxing champ, Tyson Fury, until a right hand drops him outside of the ring for a count out loss. None too happy about it, he recovers to deliver a powerslam on Fury during his celebration.
The Miz is out for Miz TV in his ring gear to interview himself? Miz says that he was supposed to interview Bray Wyatt and plays footage from The Fiend’s championship win at Crown Jewel. Unfortunately, Bray can’t be there today but they can talk about the elephant in the room: NXT. Shayna dropped Bayley. Riddle and Keith Lee dropped Sami Zayn. And Tommaso Ciampa is interrupting Miz TV! The announcers hype up Ciampa’s brutality and his seven month turn around from neck surgery. Ciampa lets Miz know that, while he’s playing the part of a WWE star, The Blackheart IS the part. Miz says he’s heard this spiel for fifteen years and, if NXT and Ciampa are there to make a statement, then make it. It’s on.
The Miz vs Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa tosses Miz from barricades to apron to ring steps and wears him down with chinlocks. Miz gets the advantage with the backbreaker/neckbreaker but Ciampa fends off several Figure Four attempts and survives a short DDT. Figure Four applied but The Blackheart gets that look in his eye and digs deep to reverse it. Miz tries to come off the top rope but comes down right into a knee strike. A Fairy Tale Ending (Pedigree) and that’s all she wrote for Miz.
Your winner by pinfall… Tommaso Ciampa! (With the NXT logo on his name/winner graphic!)
Daniel Bryan is seen walking through the back hallways. He’s greeted by Triple H and HBK and he questions why they’re there. They say that the Survivor Series ads make it seem like NXT is getting called out, like someone is looking for a fight. Daniel says that it just so happens to be looking for a fight and thinks maybe he and Hunter should go fight right now. He didn’t bring his gear but he knows someone who did. Shawn teases an in-ring return by taking off his jacket but remarks that it’s cold in the back and puts it back on. Nope. Hunter calls out for “champ” and NXT Champion, Adam Cole, responds! DB says he’s down if they do it right: Daniel Bryan vs Adam Cole… for the NXT Championship. Hunter and Cole says that works for them.
Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs Carmella & …
Carmella isn’t coming out… because she and Dana Brooke are getting their asses beat by Bianca Belair! Dana is repeated smashed into the production crates before “The EST” presses Carmella over head and throws her like a medicine ball during a workout.
Back towards the ring area, new music hits and NXT’s Tegan Nox & Rhea Ripley come out to address Fire & Desire.
Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs Teagan Nox & Rhea Ripley
It’s an official match but it’s closer to a back alley mugging. Nox manages to toss Sonya over the announce table (and an inadvertent Trouble in Paradise to Renee Young!) That leaves Mandy as easy picking for the Amazonian Ripley who hangs her upside down in a calf crusher until she gets the tap out.
Your winners by submission… Rhea Ripley & Teagan Nox!
Triple H and HBK come out to sit at ringside but they get a surprise appearance from Stephanie McMahon! She hypes the crowd for starting the Women’s Evolution, from #givedivasachance to main-eventing Wrestlemania 35 to last night’s first ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia.
Daniel Bryan vs Adam Cole (c) for the NXT Championship
Cole comes out with NXT North American Champion, Roderick Strong but The Undisputed Era plays it clean tonight. This? This was a main event. Pay per view quality from bell to bell. It was very much a “Daniel Bryan” match but it was also one of the best that I’ve seen from an in-ring perspective and certainly one of the best in a long time. Despite a fairly dead crowd in Buffalo last night, the drama was high and a very big factor in that was having two retired guys at ringside selling their asses off throughout the match. Trips and Shawn had looks of concern on their faces and pantomimed their frustrations at every near fall so well I wouldn’t be surprised if they were offered Mylanta once they got back through the curtains. It’s not my favorite method but Adam Cole was put over big by gritting out multiple submissions including the Lebell Lock and a heel hook. Panama Sunrise and a shining wizard to the back of the head keeps the title on the black-and-gold brand.
Your winner by pinfall… Adam Cole (Bay-bay!)
The NXT roster begins to file out from the back and joins Cole and Triple H in the ring. Hunter cuts the promo to put RAW and Smackdown on notice. They’re an army. They’re a family. And they. Are. NXT!
Reaction: In business and politics, there’s a saying often attributed to Rahm Emmanuel, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” In wrestling there’s a saying sometimes sprinkled with the term m***** f***** by Jim Cornette, “Sometimes you have to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.” It was already set that NXT was going to be a part of Survivor Series this year so this “invasion” may have been already in motion but the back-against-the-wall ability to improvise and get that many people from Orlando to Buffalo that quickly speaks volumes as to how strong WWE’s infrastructure is and how capable their rosters can be.
It really was an NXT night. Not only did they go over in each segment, but Pat McAfee did a fantastic job at the desk and Kayla Braxton slid seamlessly into her old role as ring announcer. Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair all looked like both complete badasses and the burgeoning stars that they are. Ciampa did well against Miz on the stick and they worked a very good match in the ring together. The fact that the whole night was pretty much improvised shows that, just like the “main roster” shows are often decried for not letting the talent talk from the heart, letting them work on the fly can produce exciting and novel matches. This may have been the pro wrestling equivalent of Drew Beldsoe going down and that Brady kid having to take snaps. Or it could be Matt Flynn throwing for six TDs against Detroit while Aaron Rodgers sits that week only to fade away afterward.
Silver lining to the bad situation in Saudi Arabia: The other Smackdown superstars (Roman Reigns, Ali, King Corbin, New Day, etc.) are protected by not having to take L’s vs the NXT invaders. Bonus silver lining: Giving it a week to cool down may decrease the likelihood that dorks in the crowd start a “You deserve it!” chant for the delusional psychotic with a demon fetish that just won the top title.
Biggest news of the night was likely supposed to be the now-buried lead: Brock is going to RAW. With Smackdown averaging a million viewers lost each week (granted last week’s FS1 edition should be excepted,) are they anticipating a plug pull by FOX? Sending their biggest name and (excepting John Cena) the most prominent wrestler of the 21st century to USA on the same night where the “developmental” show on USA had their roster run roughshod on the FOX primetime show really should raise an eyebrow.
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