The following report originally published 5 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com...
Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
-They replayed the most juvenile snippets of King Corbin's interview last week about shriveled up testicles and the yipping noise from the Roman Reigns dog animation, followed by clips of their match including Corbin scoring the pin after interference from Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode distracted him and left him susceptible to an End of Days.
-The Smackdown opening theme aired.
-Pyro blasted from the Smackdown stage and then Cole introduced the show from Philadelphia, Pa. as they showed the crowd.
-King Corbin made his entrance onto the stage. Five men, three out of five with shaved or bald heads, carried Corbin to the ring on his throne. (Corbin clearly biased toward hiring people with clean shaven skulls. Scandalous!) Ziggler and Roode awaited Corbin the ring. Graves touted Corbin's royalty. Fans chanted "You suck!" at him briefly. Loud boos when he started to try to talk. Ziggler and Roode expressed dismay at the rude fans. Corbin said they should be like the brave and wise wrestlers who have pledged their royalty to his kingdom. He said Reigns is a shell of his former self, but he refuses to accept it. He said he proved it is no longer Reigns's yard last week; rather, it is now his kingdom. Roode verified that's true. Corbin declared by royal decree that he is now the team captain for Team Smackdown at Survivor Series. They showed a graphic showing Corbin, Reigns, Shorty G, Braun Strowman, and Ali. Corbin said he doesn't like any of his teammates, but two are especially weak. He said Roode & Ziggler have a chance to replace them tonight.
Ziggler talked about how "it should have been us" in the tag match. Roode said they rectify that mistake tonight. He said Ali and Shorty G are used to participation trophies and handouts, but stuff like that won't fly under King Corbin's rule. Ziggler said they'll beat up G & Ali (their team name should be "Ali G," right?) Roode said their victory will be absolutely glorious. Corbin invited Reigns to the ring because if they're teammates at Survivor Series, they should be able to coexist in the ring tonight. Corbin called him to the ring. Reigns's music promptly played. Instead of Reigns, out walked a dog mascot as yipping sounds played over the speakers. Ziggler, Roode, and Corbin were uproariously pleased with themselves. The dog mascot imitated Reigns's entrance mannerisms. The dog mascot entered the ring and bowed down to Corbin. "This is ridiculous," said Cole.
(Keller's Analysis: I mean, on the bright side, this ten minutes opening to the show set the stage for the opening tag match and made it clear what was at stake, and used it to hype Survivor Series. On the other hand, it was long-winded and just dragged as the crowd lost interest the longer it went. I'd watch "WWE Backstage" if it showed us the writers pitching that dog mascot bit to Vince McMahon, and McMahon popping for it and calling the suggestion just what Smackdown in Philadelphia needed.) [c]
-Cole said regarding WWE Backstage, "For my money, it's one of the funnest shows on TV right now." (Well, I'm convinced!) He said it's a mix of breaking news, controversy, and some very special guests. They aired a clip of the surprise return of C.M. Punk from Tuesday night and Punk saying, "Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the culture. See you here next week."
(1) SHORTY G & MUSTAFA ALI vs. ROBERT ROODE & DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Corbin, Dog Mascot)
Cole called the mascot a "stuffed dog." (Does Cole not know what a mascot is?) Graves corrected him and said he is very much alive. Cole said Shorty G and Ali wanted to proved they deserved their team spots, thus they accepted this match. A couple minutes in, Corbin distracted Ali, leading to Roode knocking him off the ring apron and into the announce table. As Corbin and the dog mascot celebrated, the real Reigns came out to retaliate. They cut to a break as soon as Reigns walked up to Corbin at ringside. Cole yelled, "Run Spot, run!" [c]
Back from the break, Shorty G got a hot-tag and scored a near fall on Roode. Reigns cheerlead enthusiastically at ringside. Ali saved G a minute later after a Zig Zag. Ziggler superkicked Ali off the ring apron. Shorty G then put Ziggler in an anklelock. Ziggler sold it great, yelling and screaming and flailing. Roode broke it up. Corbin looked distressed at ringside. Corbin offered his scepter to Roode, but Reigns gave him a Drive By. Roode threw Reigns head-first into the announce table. Ali leaped through the ropes into Roode. Reigns then gave Corbin a spear at ringside. He played to the crowd and fist-bumped some fans. Back in the ring, G gave Ziggler a suplex and then Ali landed a 450 splash to score the three count. Reigns entered the ring and celebrated with G and Ali afterward.
WINNERS: Short G & Mustafa Ali in 12:00.
(Keller's Analysis: Good action. Four good athletes in there.)
-They went to the announcers at ringside. Cole plugged Miz TV with Daniel Bryan. A kid held up a sign that said, "Push EC3." They threw to a clip of the Sami Zayn-Bryan angle last week ending with The Fiend attacking Bryan.
-Firefly Funhouse: Bray Wyatt stood in front of his Universal Title belt. He said something isn't quite right. He spun around and was suddenly wearing a magician outfit. He turned the Universal Title from red to blue. "Much better!" he said. He said their fun is just getting started, and it's nearly time for Miz TV with Bryan. He said he'll be watching. "He will be watching, too," he said, before some laughter.
(Keller's Analysis: I like using Bray's magic to turn the Universal Title belt from red to blue. Also, good hook to tell everyone that The Fiend will be watching Miz TV later.) [c]
-They showed postcard shots of Philadelphia.
-They replayed the conclusion of the opening tag match.
-Backstage, Ziggler and Roode were upset. Corbin said as their king, he will fix it. Corbin and the dog mascot walked away.
-A sponsored highlight package aired on Tyson Fury & Braun Strowman beating B-Team last week.
-Braun made his ring entrance. Drew Gulak and B-Team were standing in the ring. Gulak suggested he take Strowman's place on Team Smackdown. He showed a picture on the screen of Gulak's arm raised and the headline "Gulak saves Team Smackdown." Strowman grabbed Gulak's hand as he pointed at him and twisted him to the mat. B-Team attacked him. Strowman beat them up.
-Backstage Kofi Kingston was organizing pancakes on a plater as Big E stood by. Kayla Braxton interviewed them and asked if they'll be successful without Xavier Woods at ringside. Kofi said they don't have to because even if he's not there in physical form, he's always with them. Kofi said they will defend them in his honor and then sang that they will remain their WWE Tag Team Champions. Big E then did his signature introduction.
-New Day made their ring entrance. [c]
-Sami and Shinsuke Nakamura approached Daniel Bryan backstage. Sami said they need an answer tonight. He said after what The Fiend did to him last week, it's apparent he needs them. Sami said he wants him with them. Bryan asked Sami if they have his back, why did he run last week when Fiend had his finger in his mouth. Sami said he ran and thought Bryan was running right behind him. Bryan then definitively said he doesn't need or want their help. Bryan suggested Braun instead join them. Sami said they are artists, so Braun wouldn't bring anything to the table. Strowman showed up, Sami looked scared.
(Keller's Analysis: Not the most dramatic of revelations. While Bryan had a good point that Sami wasn't there for him.)
(2) THE NEW DAY (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. THE REVIVAL (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) - WWE Smackdown Tag Team Title match
The Revival got in early offense and they cut to an early break. [c]
After some action at ringside, back in the ring The Revival hit Shatter Machine on Big E. Big E kindly rolled over onto his back in position to get covered. That was strange. Kofi leaped off the top rope to break up the cover. All four were down. Graves said The Revival had the match won if not for Kofi. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong attacked Kofi at ringside. Kyle O'Reaily and Bobby Fish gave Dash a high-low on the floor. All four then attacked Big E and Dash in the ring. A parade of Smackdown wrestlers (Heavy Machinery, Lucha Underground, Titus O'Neal, Apollo Crews, Heath Slater) from the locker room ran out to clear the ring of Undisputed Era.
WINNERS: No contest. [c]
-They replayed what happened before the break with the Undisputed Era run-in.
(Keller's Analysis: Some good action there, although more of the same type of Survivor Series hype. It's still obnoxious the announcers so easily just dismiss the idea that the match itself deserves an outcome. They don't even bother to address the situation and explain it's a no contest for now, but certainly Revival deserve another rematch.)
(3) HEAVY MACHINERY (Otis & Tucker) vs. KEVIN TIBBS & KIP STEVENS
Usual routine including the Caterpillar to end it. Graves said he thought one of Heavy Machinery's opponents waited on him the night before.
WINNERS: Heavy Machinery in 2:00.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. They plugged Miz TV with Bryan again. Then they showed a clip of Shayna Baszler doing run-ins on Smackdown last week and Raw earlier this week. Then they showed Bayley attacking Baszler on NXT this Wednesday.
-Kayla interviewed Bayley and Sasha Banks backstage. She asked if the attacks were as personal as they feel. Bayley said Becky Lynch and Baszler won't see her as an afterthought ever again. Bayley said she competes for her and herself only, and beating people up brings her personal joy. Sasha said Nikki Cross doesn't deserve to be on Team Smackdown and Bayley has beat her "countless of times." (No one deserves to be on Smackdown butchering English like that.) Bayley said after she beats Nikki again, maybe she'll join Team Smackdown and then they can beat Team Raw and Team NXT.
(Keller's Analysis: Bayley and Sasha are two of the most believably unlikeable acts in WWE today.)
-Nikki made her ring entrance. Cole said Nikki must beat Bayley to be on Team Smackdown at Survivor Series. [c]
-After airing highlights of the opening match finish, Cole announced Corbin & Roode & Ziggler would face Reigns & Ali & Shorty on Smackdown next Friday, two days before Survivor Series.
(4) NIKKI CROSS vs. BAYLEY - Team Smackdown spot at stake
Nikki ducked Bayley as she charged, then guided her to the floor. Bayley reversed Nikki into the ringside steps. Shayna Baszler showed up. She entered the ring. Bayley bailed out. When she bailed out into the crowd, suddenly Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai, and Mia Yim showed up behind her. (HOW DID THEY KNOW BAYLEY WOULD RETREAT TO THAT SPOT?) They threw Bayley back to ringside. Banks jumped Baszler from behind. The NXT women swarmed the ring. but Sasha, Carmella, Dana Brooke, and Nikki helped clear the ring. Sasha asked where the NXT women were going. She challenged them to an eight-woman tag match right now. The NXT women were all for it.
WINNER: No decision.
(Keller's Analysis: Another match without a decision, yet with high stakes that weren't addressed at all. At least they didn't have Ripley and Baszler share a ring, but they were working in coordination on the same team, which is annoying given their NXT storyline. The idea that "brand pride" overrides intense personal grudges within each brand is really narrative-breaking.) [c]
(5) SASHA BANKS & NIKKI CROSS & CARMELLA & DANA BROOKE vs. TEGAN NOX & RHEA RIPLEY & DAKOTA KAI & MIA YIM
A couple minutes in, Ripley tagged in against Banks. It felt a bit like "a moment" relative to the other interactions. Ripley gave Banks a suplex and then trash-talked her to her face and pounded the mat. She yelled, "NXT, baby!" Banks applied a Bank Statement. Ripley escaped and shoved Sasha. All eight entered the ring and argued. The ref tried to restore order as they cut to a break. [c]
Nikki avoided a leap off the top rope, then connected with a scorpion kick. Nikki countered a Kai suplex and landed a neckbreaker for the win.
WINNERS: Nikki & Banks & Carmella & Brooke in 8:00.
-After the match, everyone brawled and Sonya Deville joined in. The NXT women retreated into the crowd.
-They showed Bryan walking backstage. [c]
-The announcers ran down the Survivor Series line-up.
-Miz TV: Miz made his ring entrance and showed off his "Philly is Awesome" t-shirt. Miz said he is looking forward to this because he has material he can sink his teeth into. He said The Fiend beat Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel and brought the Universal Title to Smackdown. Then last week he "shockingly and brutally" beat his guest, and he will now find out why. Miz introduced Bryan. Miz said the reason The Fiend went after him is because he's washed up and unstable and doesn't know who he is anymore. He said he might be the old Daniel Bryan leading the "Yes Movement!" Or he might be the new Daniel Bryan who (in a snide tone), tells people to recycle.
Bryan stood up and said he was quiet because Miz TV sucks. He yelled that what he knows he still has is passion. He said Miz wouldn't understand it, but Bray Wyatt would because he is mentally unstable, too. He said there is nobody better to fight a mentally unstable person than - at which point Firefly Funhouse music interrupted. Bray appeared on the big screen. Bray said maybe "he" (The Fiend) did what he did because he remembers what Bryan did. He got a sinister look and said he remembers. Or maybe he did it to have fun. He snapped back into kids host mode. He began pulling toys out of a crate. A wig, a bloody doll, a truck, a clown horn, a saw ("How did this get in there?"), and finally the WWE Universal Title belt. He said all Bryan has to say is that one magic word. The crowd chanted "Yes!" Bryan said, "No!" Abby said "Yes." The pig burped and said "Yes." Ramblin' Rabbit said "Yes." Bryan said no after each of them. He said he won't go play with his puppets because he knows what he's trying to do. He said it's clear to him that Bray has a problem with him. "If you want to fight, let's fight, but if we're going to do it, let's do it for the Universal Championship." He asked, "So Bray, what do you say?" Bray paused and then said, "Yes. Yes. Yes! Yes!!! YES!!!" The crowd joined in sorta, but it faded quickly. Bray went on and on shouting "Yes" as his music played. When Bray finally stopped, they went back to Miz who said, "Well, there you have it. It will be Daniel Bryan versus The Fiend for the Universal Championship at Survivor Series." Some cheers. Bryan's music played. Cole then reenforced the news.
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