wrestling / TV Reports
Hall’s WWE Smackdown Review 9.20.24
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Smackdown
Date: September 20, 2024
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
We are getting closer to Bad Blood and that means it is time to get ready for a big tag match. Bad Blood will see Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns teaming up against the Bloodline, which should make for an important Smackdown main event. As for tonight, LA Knight is defending the US Title against Andrade. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of Cody Rhodes defeating Solo Sikoa last week to retain the Smackdown World Title. Roman Reigns then made the save from the post-match beatdown, eventually setting up the Bad Blood tag match.
Earlier today, the Bloodline arrived and didn’t like being checked in the metal detector. Jacob Fatu beat up security because that’s just what he does.
US Title: LA Knight vs. Andrade
Knight is defending and starts fast with a BFT attempt to send Andrade outside. We take an early break and come back with Andrade hitting a high crossbody for two, setting up the chinlock. Knight fights up and elbows him in the face before they go outside with Knight sending him face first into the announcers’ table over and over.
The slingshot shoulder gets two on Andrade back inside but he manages a quick posting for a breather. Andrade hits a top rope moonsault to the floor and we take another break. Back again with a double knockdown giving them a double breather. Andrade is up first but misses the running knees in the corner, allowing Knight to grab a DDT for two.
A neckbreaker gives Knight two but Andrade scores with the running knees in the corner for the same. Knight comes back with a powerbomb and the top rope spelling elbow but the BFT is blocked. The spinning elbow gives Andrade two more but he misses a missile dropkick. The BFT retains the title at 17:28.
Rating: B. Rather strong match here, which is what you want to see from Knight as he continues to build up his title reign. Beating one star after another is a good way to go and Knight looked strong in his third title defense. Andrade was hot coming off of his series with Carmelo Hayes but for now, Knight getting boosted up is the right way to go.
Respect is shown post match.
We recap the setup of tonight’s women’s tag match, with Bayley and Naomi fighting for a Women’s Title shot while Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton are trying to get rid of them both.
Stratton isn’t overly focused on the match so Jax says Stratton should lose if she doesn’t win tonight.
Carmelo Hayes mocks Andrade over the loss and the fight is on again.
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns met on the field at Georgia Tech’s football stadium (Cody’s hometown and Reigns’ alma mater). Reigns talks about what he has given on this field, which is his stadium and his city. Rhodes talks about what his family has done in this city because while it is Reigns’ field, it is Rhodes’ home. Reigns says the Bloodline has taken everything away from him and now there is nothing for him to lose.
Rhodes warned him that this would happen before Wrestlemania and now we have both a Tribal Chief and a WWE Champion, but it isn’t Reigns. If Reigns can’t beat the Bloodline, who is he? Rhodes wants Reigns’ word that he’ll have his back at Bad Blood. Reigns agrees, but he’s coming back for what is his, meaning the title, after the match. Rhodes says it isn’t Reigns’ to take, but Reigns says he’s in his way. That was a heck of a setting for a staredown, which worked well, though it felt a bit too big for a match at Bad Blood rather than…well any of the big shows.
Kevin Owens isn’t sure what he just saw.
Apollo Crews vs. Giovanni Vinci
Vinci isn’t happy with his previous loss and hammers away to start, setting up a clothesline out of the corner. Vinci’s fireman’s carry is loaded up but Crews reverses into a rollup for the pin at 1:36. I’m kind of chuckling at this.
Post match Vinci beats him down.
Kevin Owens will talk about Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes in the arena.
Here is Owens for a chat. Owens is about to talk about what he just saw with Reigns and Rhodes but here is the Bloodline (minus Solo Sikoa) to interrupt. Tama Tonga threatens violence but Owens wants to fight. The beatdown is on so here is DIY to clear things out, with Nick Aldis coming to the ring to make the six man tag main event.
Bayley and Naomi are cool with each other before their title match and they both want to win.
Bayley/Naomi vs. Nia Jax/Tiffany Stratton
Texas Tornado. If Bayley or Naomi win, they get a title shot, but if one of them is pinned, they leave Smackdown. It’s a brawl to start (as it should be) with Bayley and Naomi getting in some double teaming to stagger both villains. A double sliding lariat gets two on Jax, who is back up with a toss to Naomi. Something like a middle rope version of Cryme Tyme’s old G9 getting two on Bayley as we take a break.
Back with Jax on the floor and being sent into Naomi’s kick to the head. Bayley and Naomi hit some dives on Jax and a springboard kick to the face/German suplex combination hits Stratton. Naomi won’t let Bayley get the pin but she does take a shot from Stratton for her. Jax is back in to clean house but Bayley saves Naomi from the Annihilator.
Bayley and Jax get stereo covers for near falls (commentary isn’t sure how that would have worked either) but Naomi X Factors Jax out of the corner. Stratton’s Swanton hits Jax by mistake and a 1D puts Stratton down again. Jax Samoan drops Bayley but Naomi grabs a rollup, with Bayley helping, for the double pin at 11:06.
Rating: B-. The tornado rules were a way to set up the ending, which is either setting up Bayley vs. Naomi or the triple threat title match at Bad Blood (or both). For now though, it was a good way to make Jax look vulnerable and it’s a lot more acceptable to have her take a fall in a tag match. Good enough match here, with the result being what it needed to be.
It’s not clear who gets the title shot.
We look at some fan signs.
Chelsea Green goes to take out some trash but gets sick of the smell. She’s training to face Michin in a dumpster match, which would be on Michin’s home turf. As usual, Green is hilarious in stuff like this.
Michael Cole is VERY enthusiastic about the dumpster match and even gets up to demonstrate throwing someone into a dumpster.
Nick Aldis makes Naomi vs. Bayley next week for the title shot.
Kevin Owens/DIY vs. Bloodline
Hold on though as we cut to the back where the Bloodline has taken out DIY. Owens goes to the stage and fights all three of the Bloodline on his own, which goes as well as you would expect. Cue the Street Profits for the save though and Owens hits a flip dive as we have some replacement partners.
Kevin Owens/Street Profits vs. Bloodline
Owens hammers on Tama to start and it’s off to Dawkins to do the same. Ford gets to stomp Loa in the corner but a clothesline gets him out of trouble. Fatu comes in and the fans approve as he kicks Ford down in the corner. A suplex into Tama’s slingshot hilo has Ford in more trouble and a sliding lariat makes it worse. Ford finally fights out of trouble and hands it back to Dawkins to fight off Fatu.
Back up and Fatu hits a superkick out of the corner into a gorgeous moonsault as we take a break. We come back with Dawkins getting double teamed down but managing to kick Tama away. Fatu cuts off the tag attempt though, only to miss a charge into the post. That’s enough for the tag off to Ford to fight back, including a standing moonsault for two on Tama.
Owens comes back in and picks the pace up even more, with a splash off the apron to Loa and a cannonball to Tama. The Swanton connects but Fatu makes the save, leaving Tama and Owens to go to the top. After some very obvious spot calling, Owens reverses into the swinging superplex for two. The Stunner connects and Loa sends Owens into the steps, which is actually a DQ at 14:48.
Rating: B-. This got some time and the ending was a big of a surprise, though I’ll take the doing something a bit different than the same old stuff. The Profits didn’t need to take another loss here so the result was a nice thing to see. Owens was fighting as hard as he could again, which has been his thing for a long time now now.
Post match the brawl stays on with the Bloodline getting the better of things but here is DIY for the failed save attempt. Cody Rhodes makes the real save with a chair and hits Fatu with a Cody Cutter. Owens picks up the chair and stares at Rhodes, with Cody offering him a handshake. Owens drops the chair and we get a hug to end the show. They were teasing something there and we never heard what Owens actually thought of the video with Roman Reigns.
Results
LA Knight b. Andrade – BFT
Apollo Crews b. Giovanni Vinci – Rollup
Bayley/Naomi b. Nia Jax/Tiffany Stratton – Double pin to Jax
Kevin Owens/Street Profits b. Bloodline via DQ when Loa sent Owens into the steps
