Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 9.27.16

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown 9.27.16

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– The Usos and The Ascension defeated American Alpha, Slater and Rhyno @ 9:55 via pin [***]
– Carmella and Natalya defeated Nikki Bella and Naomi @ 10:15 via pin [**]
– WWE Title Match: Champion AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose @ 21:26 via pin [****]

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Randy Orton Hears Voices in His Head And Wants to Share Their Message: The new era continues as Randy Orton is once again wearing pants. Orton said that he knows why Wyatt likes to talk about fear, it’s because he wants Orton to lose focus like he did at Backlash. It’s also because Wyatt is afraid, and there is no shame there. People are afraid of all kinds of things, heights, spiders, snakes; Wyatt is afraid of him. Enough mind games, get down here if your man enough and face your fears. Wyatt appears backstage and tells his wacky version of Hansel and Gretel, noting that his trail will lead Orton to his own prison. Wyatt is a God and controls the world, and Orton is in no position to make demands. The sands of time wait for no mortal man. Wyatt then sings “he’s got the whole world in his hands” and disappears from the screen. Orton leaves the ring, likely going to find Wyatt. This was a fine opening segment, continuing the Orton vs. Wyatt build and possibly leading to a confrontation later on.

– Dean Ambrose walks and gets interviewed. It’s a PG show so he can’t share his true feeling. AJ beat Cena, and Ambrose did that last week. AJ stole his title so tonight he breaks his face and his ego. He’s going to drop him, make him cry and take back his title.

New look, new attitude… The @WWEUsos are ready for 8-man tag action on #SDLive on @USA_Network! pic.twitter.com/LtvhxIzNdt

— WWE (@WWE) September 28, 2016

American Alpha, Slater and Rhyno vs. The Usos and The Ascension: HEATH GOT HIS ABOVE GROUND POOL. The Usos were the only ones to get an entrance, which was to show off their new entrance music. They also changed their gear again. Jordan and Jimmy started things off, he and Gable worked quick tags and kept cutting Jimmy off. Jimmy finally took Jordan to the corner, the Usos tried double teams but Gable and Jordan stopped that. Gable then worked a hanging arm bar on Jey in the ropes and then went to the floor. Jey chop blocked the knee of Gable (the continuity is appreciated) and we went to a commercial break. Post break, the Ascension worked over Gable. Jimmy tagged in, missed the corner charge and then Gable avoided charges by the Ascension and just as Gable was about to make a tag, the Ascension pulled Jordan to the floor. Rhyno hit a dive off the apron as Gable kept fighting for the tag and Slater got the hot tag to a great reaction. Slater ran wild, hit a neck breaker but Konnor made the save. It broke down, we got the signature move buffet and it was down to Slater and Jey. Blind tag by Jimmy and he hit the superkick and then the Usos attacked the knee. Jimmy got the tequila sunrise and Slater had to tap. That was a good tag match with a great final stretch. They kept the continuity going between Alpha and the Usos and also gave the Usos a win, while also taking out the knee of Slater. I am really enjoying the heel Uso team.

– Cena says he will be ringside for the main event tonight. AJ is at the top of his game, but Ambrose had guts. He will be watching, and no matter who wins, at No Mercy he will be come the 16-time world champion.

– The Miz and Maryse are backstage and have someone cover up a picture of Lebron James with a Miz poster.

– We see Randy Orton searching for Bray Wyatt in the darkness of the building. He finds a creepy artifact on the wall as he searches, and after he moved it, it moved back to where it was and Erick Rowan was there.

– Back from commercial, Wyatt says that Orton is bad at taking directions. He says Orton may find him tonight.

Nikki Bella and Naomi vs. Carmella and Natalya: This was supposed to happen last week, but it ended in under a minute when Carmella and Nikki brawled. Carmella cut a pre-match promo, saying Nikki can’t hang with the real women on Smackdown. Naomi says the haters can’t end the glow, and Nikki said that they were fearless. Naomi and Carmella started things off, with Carmella moon walking away from Naomi and then Naomi rubber her ass in the face of Carmella. This angered Carmella, who ate a dropkick. Nikki in now, she hit a jawbreaker; Carmella bailed to the floor and we took a break. Post break, Natalya worked over Naomi, hitting a Michinoku driver on the floor. Back in, Natalya grounded Naomi and worked the heat. Naomi escaped, but was slowed as commentary noted that she missed a kick during the break and hit the post. Carmella tags in, mocks Nikki, which allows Naomi to get a roll up for 2. Carmella hit a broncobuster and hit some sloppy slaps and covered for 2. Naomi managed another roll up, but Carmella cut her off again and tagged in Natalya. Naomi fired back, but Natalya cut off the bulldog and hit the basement dropkick after a hesitation for a near fall. Natalya would miss the leg drop and Nikki got the hot tag, She ran wild, hitting dropkick and a corner splash. The disaster kick followed and that got a near fall. Carmella with a cheap shot from the apron, she tags in and Nikki is pissed. She attacks, but Carmella rakes the eyes. They continued to brawl, forearm to Natalya by Nikki, but Carmella rolls her up and steals another win. This was a solid, but sloppy at times match. The good news is that it wasn’t bad and that they are continuing the lower tier angles between Natalya and Naomi, and Nikki and Carmella. Carmella simply has Nikki’s number right now, being a complete opportunist and taking the wins by any means necessary.

– Randy Orton continues his search for Bray Wyatt. He sees writing on the walls, “predator or prey, I am a God” and such. He chooses the door that says, “I am a God” and there is an Orton cut out standing there. He is not amused. He then goes to the “predator or prey” door, and rowan is in the room waiting, but Orton does not go in.

The Miz’s Homecoming Celebration: Commentary says that Miz is getting this grand homecoming because it was in his new contract. In the ring there are glamour shots and portraits of the Miz. Maryse introduces Miz and we then get a Miz video package. This whole thing presents him as the perfect unlikable douche bag, and I love it. Miz then informs Cleveland he is home, the Cavs won the NBA title and over a million milled the streets to celebrate… and this is all he gets? He is Cleveland’s real hero, not that traitor LeBron James. Before they brought him back, Miz was winning the main event of WrestleMania. He is here to celebrate with the only real people worth it, his parents, who are there at ringside. He drops a product placement for his dad’s place, and Maryse then tells Miz that Ziggler’s parents are here tonight. Miz told them that they bred a first class, elite loser. Amazing. Ziggler then arrives and tells Miz to not talk to his parents, his friends or his city. Miz says he already beat him again and again, but Ziggler says that Miz kept cheating to do so. Miz says the record books only say he won, he is the champion, a movie star, and had a hot wife. Ziggler was good, maybe great, but now he just loses and loses and loses. Miz says Ziggler was almost main event, but now he’s the opening guy that makes people happy before he loses. Miz says he would be embarrassed if he were him, and Ziggler’s parent, friends and the city should be embarrassed for Ziggler. My God Miz is just burying him hard and it’s all truth. Miz says that he won’t give Ziggler another shot, because Ziggler is done and has nothing to offer. Unless you’re willing to give up your career, see ya kid! Ziggler is a sad panda in the ring as Miz leaves, and then Ziggler says Miz is right, all he has is this ring, and it’s his everything. He lives for this, but it doesn’t always love you back. People keep asking him why he does this every night. He can’t stop, and maybe his career didn’t turn out how he thought it would and he thought he’s be a bigger star, and he can’t stop, but if Miz puts up the title one more time… Ziggler will put up his career on the line. Miz LOVES this idea, and says that if he wins Ziggler doesn’t go to Raw or NXT, his career will be done and it will be all because of him. Ziggler says he walks out champion or he’s done. Either way, he’ll be out of his misery. Miz accepts the challenge for No Mercy. They picked the right city to do this in for sure, as the hometown crowd (and addition of the parents being at ringside) added to a hell of a promo segment from both guys. Miz keeps delivering as the completely unlikable heel, and Ziggler showed great emotion as he choked up putting his career on the line, making you believe that all of this really meant something to him. Ziggler has been the loser, and only had his career left to offer, and it’s not even so much his career, if the fact that the Miz wants the chance to take it away and then be able to gloat about it. They knocked it out of the park in terms of delivery and making you care. This was simply fantastic.

– We see Dean Ambrose preparing for tonight’s main event.

– Bray Wyatt is still backstage, discussing one door closing and another opening. He says Orton is like a mouse in a maze, lost.

– Becky Lynch was making her way out to the arena and Alexa Bliss attacked her from behind and slammed her to the ramp and took the Women’s title. She said Becky didn’t deserve it and then dropped it on the ramp before leaving. They face at No Mercy.

– We get a Curt Hawkins video package. He supposedly debuts next week. I hope he worked the office and does nothing but shoot videos and collects a check.

– Bray is still backstage, saying he was disappointed in Orton. He was wrong about Orton, the viper has no fangs and he is not worthy. He wonders where Orton is at, and Orton appears in the sheep mask behind him. bray continues to talk as Orton looks at him and they brawl. Bray runs away as Orton laughs. Orton then grabs the sheep mask, sits in the char and puts it back on and sings “he’s got the whole world in his hands” and laughs.

– AJ walks backstage and gets interviewed about the main event. AJ doesn’t give a shit about what Cena or Ambrose have to say. He beat up and beat both Cena and Ambrose and became the champion, and tonight, all eyes and ears are on him. He will beat Ambrose again and retain his title.

– John Cena is out to do commentary.

WWE Title Match: Champion AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose: Ambrose, rocking the heelish beard, attacks at the bell and works over Styles. Ambrose sent Styles to the floor, laid him on the announce table and kept attacking with rights. That took us to the commercial break. Post break, Styles worked the headlock and took Ambrose to the mat. Cena notes that Ambrose “walked a line” during the break, and nearly got DQ’d. Styles and Ambrose did a double down as Cena spoke about how winning the title at No Mercy could get him in the conversation for the greatest of all time. Back in the ring, Ambrose fired up and caught Styles off of a high cross attempt and hit a back breaker for a near fall. Styles avoided the corner charge, tried to roll for the calf killer but Ambrose locked in a cloverleaf. Styles fought, and finally made the ropes. Ambrose then hit the forearm and sent Styles to the floor. The suicide dive followed from Ambrose, he tried to follow up and rolled Styles back in. Styles went back to the floor, Ambrose up top and hit his elbow drop to a standing Styles on the floor. Both men were down as we took another commercial break. Post break, Styles was working the leg of Ambrose, looking to set up the calf killer. Ambrose fired up, but Styles dropped down and locked in the calf killer center ring. Ambrose fought for the ropes, started to fade, but then started to slam Styles’ head to the mat and that got the break. They fought to their feet, both guys teased their finishes and then Ambrose hit a neck breaker. Ambrose then worked jabs, but Styles laid in some leg kicks and then a forearm. They worked a series of counters, leading to Ambrose hitting a do don for the near fall. They battled up top, Styles slipped out and slammed Ambrose to the corner. He then hit the torture rack into the spinning powerbomb for the near fall. They traded strikes, Styles hit the enziguri and then missed the corner charge. Ambrose crotched him on the ropes, and then hit a lariat to turn Styles inside out; Ambrose covered but only got 2. Styles fought back and hit the PELE, the springboard 450 MISSED and Ambrose went up top, actually sold the leg and then scored with the elbow drop for a great near fall as he crowd has really gotten into this. Ambrose sent Styles to the floor, missed the plancha and that hurt the knee. Styles hit the knee strike from the apron, and then rolled Ambrose back in and then attacked Cena! Cena tried to get involved, Ambrose had the roll up but the ref was distracted and he only got 2. Ambrose then attacked Cena, leading to Styles getting the roll up and tights for the win. That was an overall excellent match, with both guys delivering. In some ways they did better than the Backlash match, as they took away things that didn’t work in that match and maximized what did work. The match had a good flow, build well through out and they did a great job of getting the crowd involved and buying into the near falls. The finish worked to not only protect Ambrose in the loss, but to also added good heat to the triple threat at No Mercy.

– Post match, Ambrose and Cena argued and then Cena hit the AA to get some revenge for last week, Styles returned, but Cena fought him off and ht the AA on him to stand tall.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

This was another very good episode of Smackdown. The show remains focused, with no wasted segments and everything building to the PPV right now. The highlights this week were the Miz/Ziggler segment and the main event, which are both more than worth your time. The layout had a minimalist approach this week, but there was nothing bad (the Orton vs. Wyatt stuff wasn't my favorite, but they are doing a solid job of building the match without them having tons of interactions or matches every week before the PPV), we weren’t overrun with authority figures and everything just continues to click. Smackdown is a really fun, and extremely easy watch these days.