wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 12.31.21
Loading...Happy New Year’s Eve everyone. While tonight is technically the last show before Day 1 tomorrow, tonight we’re just getting a Top 10 moments of the year in place of the usual Smackdown content. So I hope you’re all having a nice evening and enjoying the festivities, and if you’re here along with that I thank you and let’s enjoy the best WWE had to offer in 2021.
We open with a brief montage of highlights from the year. After that we head to a studio setup where Michael Cole and Pat McAfee are hanging out. McAfee jokes that he was sold on a shorter show than the 2 hour version, and to help pass the time he brings out Becky Lynch to keep them company.
Our number 10 moment is RK-Bro winning the tag team titles at SummerSlam.
Match #1 – RAW Tag Team Championship: (c) AJ Styles and Omos vs. RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) from SummerSlam
We join as Omos tags in and starts tossing Riddle around. AJ tags back in and they hit an assisted tornado DDT to Riddle. Riddle fights out of a chinlock, then hits a knee strike to Omos and back drops AJ out of the ring. AJ then stops him for a second but Riddle hits another knee strike then tags out. Orton is a house on fire and hits a snap powerslam on AJ then kicks Omos off the apron then he hits AJ with the hanging DDT. Orton sets for the RKO, but Omos pulls AJ out of the ring to reset things. Riddle tries to attack Omos but Omos catches him and then chokeslams him onto the apron, and AJ snaps Orton over the top rope. Riddle slips off the shoulders of Omos and he posts himself, then AJ with a moonsault off the apron into a reverse DDT on the floor to take Riddle out of the equation. AJ tries a Phenomenal Forearm but Orton avoids him, they trade counters before Orton hits the RKO and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: RK-Bro won the tag team titles
Rating: 2.5 stars
Only rating the clip, but Omos still needs some work though he absolutely gets how to play himself as a monster.
We get a small highlight for Roman Reigns as we come back to the show. Back to our hosts, McAfee says Roman had the best year of anyone since we started counting years, Becky slightly objects to that but they all agree he had the best year of any wrestler. Cole does a bit of a sell job for Day 1, only Brock Lesnar has held the Universal title longer than Roman and if Brock can get the title he’ll defend that record.
Our number 9 moment, Logan Paul getting Stunned at WrestleMania.
Match #2: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens from WrestleMania
We join as Sami is hitting a series of suplexes then a brainbuster but Owens kicks out at 2. They head to the second rope, where Owens counters a superplex attempt with a spinning Fisherman’s Buster and both men are down. Owens lands a clothesline but Sami counters into a Helluva Kick but doesn’t go for the finish, he wants another Helluva Kick but he runs into a series of superkicks from Owens. Owens with a Stunner and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Kevin Owens won
Rating: 2.5 stars
Too short to actually rate in a real way, but for everything being clean and competent it gets at least the medium.
Post match Sami complains about getting screwed, Logan thinks what Owens did was cool. More complaining from Sami then Logan shoves him out of the ring. Owens is rather unimpressed by all of this as commentary tries to pretend this matters, then Owens drops Logan with a Stunner to make the crowd happy. That match and overall angle did nothing for me when it was happening live, looking back on it my stance remains the same.
We head to break, with more of the countdown still to come.
A minor hype package for Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan welcomes us back to the broadcast. McAfee and Becky are still goofing around and ignoring Michael Cole. I don’t like Cole, but this is getting tiring. Becky shows off her guns. Cole asks what his resolution should be, all he gets is crickets so we move on to number 8.
Bobby Lashley vs. Goldberg from SummerSlam.
Match #3 – WWE Title Match: (c) Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs. Goldberg
We join in progress as Goldberg lands a Spear on the floor. Oh come on, you had time to fix the botch Goldberg made on the knee shot and still didn’t. MVP “hits” Goldberg in the knee with his cane then Lashley hits a chop block to attack the knee. They head out to the floor, Lashley then drives the leg of Goldberg into the ringpost. The crowd is almost comically pro-Lashley here. Back in the ring Goldberg can’t stand and the ref checks on him. Goldberg fights to his feet but collapses and the ref stops the match.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bobby Lashley retained the WWE Title
Rating: DUD
Post match MVP sends a chair into the ring for Lashley. Lashley hits Goldberg in the knee with the chair, then gently taps the leg with it a few times and yells at Goldberg. We cut out Goldberg’s son getting involved.
We get a recap of Nikki ASH winning the RAW Women’s title, which I’m sure Charlotte did only to point at as a “Look, I do jobs” moment. Back to our trio of hosts, they talk about that moment. That leads us to moment 7, Charlotte Flair, I mean Poochie, winning the title back.
Match #4 – RAW Women’s Title Triple Threat Match: (c) Nikki ASH vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
We join as Charlotte fights off both Rhea and Nikki, because of course we do. Charlotte sends both of them out of the ring, climbs the ropes and hits her corkscrew moonsault onto both of them. Back in the ring Charlotte hits the Figure 8 on Rhea, but Nikki flies off the top rope and breaks up the situation. Swinging neckbreaker from Nikki but Rhea breaks up the pin. Rhea wants the Riptide but Nikki counters into a DDT and Rhea rolls out of the ring. Nikki heads to the top rope, but Charlotte avoids the crossbody, locks up the Figure 8 and Nikki taps after she can’t make it to the ropes.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Charlotte Flair won the title
Rating: 2 stars
Yawn, but Charlotte stands tall as we head to break.
A highlight package for Rick Boogs and Pat McAfee’s gloriously over the top hype when he comes out brings us back to action. Becky tells him to knock it off, telling him he’s missing the point of the business and he needs to change. Cole reminds us that the Intercontinental champion Shinsuke Nakamura has been just a footnote in King/Bum-ass/Happy Corbin’s year.
We get a video recap of Corbin’s year, starting as King then losing his crown and actually becoming interesting for a few months as a bum, then turned into an even more obnoxious character in the form of Happy Corbin. Oh, and lest we forget Madcap Moss and his “comedy” showed up as well. Ugh, I really didn’t need that shown again WWE, thanks.
We come back with a highlight of debuts from the year, well this is awkwardly cut together given how many debutants were cut just weeks later. They show Damien Priest, Omos, Veer Mahaan who apparently finally came, Reggie who’s still a bad comedy act, Xia Li who’s had one in ring moment on the main roster, Los Lotharios who both lost their first names, and Austin Theory. All in all, not a great year for new talent.
Back to our hosts who set up our next number by putting over all the awards Bad Bunny has won. Our Number 6 moment is Bad Bunny at WrestleMania.
Match #5 – Tag Team Match: Damien Priest and Bad Bunny vs. The Mix and John Morrison from WrestleMania
We join as Priest is running wild on Miz and Morrison. South of Heaven to Miz but Morrison breaks up the pin. Bunny in to hit Morrison but Morrison just gut kicks him. Stereo Falcon Arrows from Priest and Bunny but only a 2 count. Miz and Morrison head out of the ring, Bunny then slingshots Priest into a dive onto both of them. Bunny heads up top and dives onto Miz and Morrison. I’m still shocked they trusted Miz to catch a celebrity dive. We cut ahead to Bunny hitting a Canadian Destroyer on Morrison on the floor, God bless Morrison for making that work. Priest kicks down Miz, hoists him up on his shoulders and tags Bunny for a Doomsday Crossbody and Bunny pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Damien Priest and Bad Bunny won
Rating: 2.5 stars
My jokes aside, Bunny seriously overdelivered in that spot and having him work mostly with Morrison was a smart call given how physically gifted Morrison is.
We get a recap of the Edge and Seth Rollins feud. I feel like Rollins is a tired act, his promos all follow the same formula, but for all the faults his stuff does kind of splice together well. Oh God, that bit where Rollins went into the empty house of Edge. All the visual and audio distortions they add to this still doesn’t make it less comical, that was a poorly executed idea to begin with and if even the WWE’s editing staff can’t save it that says something serious about how poor it was. Back to our hosts, Becky jokes that it was good that Edge didn’t come to her house.
Our Number 5 moment is Edge and Rollins, Hell in a Cell.
Match #6 – Hell in a Cell: Edge vs. Seth Rollins from Crown Jewel
We pick up with Edge down and Rollins trying for a con-chair-to but Edge sweeps the leg and avoids the devastating move. Edge tries a Crippler Crossface, he gets it locked in and Rollins grabs a chair leg then stabs Edge in the eye with it to break the hold. Rollins has the chair again and pulls a Masato Tanaka, hitting a Roaring Elbow on the chair into Edge’s head. Rollins heads up top, hits a Frog Splash for a 2 count. Rollins goes up top again, this time he wants a Phoenix Splash but Edge recovers and shoves him off of the top rope and through a table on the floor.
We cut ahead to a ladder setup in the corner, Edge is going for a superplex off the ladder through a table but Rollins fights him off and hits a Sunsetbomb through the table but Edge again kicks out at 2. Rollins wraps a chain around his boot, well he tries to but it takes him a bit despite the editing time, then super kicks the seated Edge. Edge’s selling here is great, he’s got the glassy eyed look. Rollins sets his head on a chair, he looks to Stomp Edge on the chair telling him this is how his fairy tale ends but Edge crotches him with the chair as he tries for the Stomp. Edge staggers to his feet, then hits a weak looking super kick to the kneeling Rollins. Edge has snapped, he lands another and better looking super kick to Rollins, then gets the chain off of Rollins’s boot and uses it to start locking in the Crossface. Rollins tries to fight free with a wrench but Edge uses it to lock in the Glasgow Grin but he lets go just before Rollins was about to tap. Edge has gone totally nuts, he sets Rollins on a chair then Stomps him onto it and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Edge won
Rating: 3 stars
I give those two a ton of credit, they actually crafted a Hell in a Cell match that felt earned in an era where that hasn’t been the case in years, and delivered about as brutal a match as you’ll get with the current restrictions. Anyway Edge’s win sends us to break as we’ve hit the halfway mark.
We come back with a highlight of Bianca Belair winning the Women’s Royal Rumble. Back to our hosts, Becky objects to Cole calling 2021 the year of Belair, maybe the first 6 months but ever since Becky returned she’s halted the momentum of Belair. I’m not sure that’s worth bragging about. Becky reminds us that she’s the first woman to main event WrestleMania as we head to our Number 4 moment.
Match #7 – Smackdown Women’s Title Match: (c) Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair from WrestleMania
We start at the start of the match, and Belair has almost no control over her composure. I get it’s a big moment, but have some discipline. Banks eggs Belair on and they tie up then break as Banks seems more technical while Belair has the power edge. Another tie up but Banks takes Belair down by the braid. Belair kips up and we get some trash talk and shoving, then they hit the ropes and Belair catches a jumping Banks, then avoids a Sunset flip attempt and they stare off. Banks escapes a Kiss of Death attempt and Belair reminds her how close she just came to losing. Kicks now from Banks, but Belair catches her in an attempt Glam Slam that Banks has to avoid. Banks hits a baseballs slide, Banks then avoids some offense on the apron before Banks snaps her over the top rope. Belair falls to the floor and Banks tells the ref to start counting her out. Banks hits a suicide dive but Belair rolls through, powers Banks up overhead in a Military Press then walks up the ring steps and dumps Banks into the ring. That remains one of the more ludicrous displays of strength Belair has ever done. Banks goes for the Bank Statement, it takes a bit but she gets it and Belair has to drag herself to the ropes, they roll though a few times and Belair winds up in the ropes to break the hold. Some trash talk from Banks, Belair drives her into the corner and lays in shoulder strikes then they fight up to the top rope. Banks fights off a superplex, but Belair tries a handstand counter though Banks has that scouted and stomps on her knees then tries a Meteora but misses, then misses another one as Belair avoids her both times. Belair up top and hits a 450 splash for a near fall, and Belair freaking out at not getting the win there nicely straddles the line between overacting and believable incredulity. Belair wants the Kiss of Death but Banks lands on her feet, they tug of war over the braid before Belair whips Banks with it and that still sounds like a gunshot. They trade counters until eventually Belair hits the Kiss of Death to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bianca Belair won the Smackdown Women’s title
Rating: 3.5 stars
They didn’t give us the full match, but they edited it together very well and while I wasn’t nearly as high on this match as others were it’s still a darn good match. That sends us to break.
We come back as McAfee has the production staff cue up his favorite Michael Cole moment. We cut to the end of Money in the Bank when John Cena made his shocking return and Cole lost his mind. In fairness to Cole, that crowd went pretty mental too. Cena and Roman stare off in the ring after a bit of Cena’s rope running and that set up a pretty decent program between those two.
Back to the hosts where Cole and McAfee put over how great that return was. Becky takes exception to their effusive praise, but it does allow Cole to set up Becky’s return at SummerSlam as the Number 3 moment. Becky also takes exception to this, she’s only 3 and demands to know who decided that as she should be on the top of the list.
Match #8 – Smackdown Women’s Title Match: (c) Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch from SummerSlam
For those who may not remember, we were supposed to get Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks at SummerSlam, Banks pulled out and Becky wound up stepping in. Incidentally, Belair’s title reign was kind of a mess though almost none of that was her fault as her first program with Bayley got derailed due to Bayley’s injury then Banks fell out from what should have been the follow up. Anyway, Becky’s music hits and the Las Vegas crowd goes nuts. Carmella was supposed to replace Banks and she’s in the ring, though it’s a bit funny how long Carmella and Belair have to vamp for as Becky makes her way to the ring. I still don’t know why they turned Becky heel, I mean listen to this reaction. People want to cheer for her. They cut out Becky beating down Carmella, but she gets a mic after that and offers to have a match with Belair. What follows has become a touch infamous. Banks accepts and the ref calls for the bell.
Both women circle, then Becky offers a handshake, Belair accepts but Becky cheap shots her, hits the Manhandle Slam and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Becky Lynch won the Smackdown Women’s Title
Rating: DUD
I could have lived with this moment if they’d followed up correctly, but well the follow up to this moment has been pretty darn poor.
Back to our hosts, Becky demands to know if Cole is responsible for putting her at 3 and McAfee reminds us that Cole had a vote in this list while he didn’t. Our top two moments are still come after this break. I do want to give Becky credit for her acting here, she sells being pissed just the right amount.
A Drew McIntyre highlight bring us back, focusing on his Royal Rumble 2020 win and his title reign then his move to Smackdown. Our hosts are back, they talk about the Draft being a gift and a curse. Smackdown gained Drew McIntyre as a gift, but losing Becky was a curse. As someone now stuck recapping Charlotte every week, I agree. That does dovetail into moment Number 2, Big E claiming the WWE Title.
Match #9 – WWE Title Match: (c) Bobby Lashley vs. Big E from Monday Night RAW
We join as Lashley limps to the ring at the conclusion of his match with Randy Orton, then Big E’s music hits to a solid pop. Big E cashes in his Money in the Bank contract for the match. They cut as ahead as Big E avoids a Dominator, hits the Big Ending and pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Big E won the WWE Title
Rating: NR
Given that the cut even that short match down I wont rate it as a match, there’s just not anything there. That said, the moment was darn good. Big E celebrates with his New Day brethren Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods as we head to commercial break.
A video recap of the Edge and Miz feud, which has frankly been a waste of Edge, brings us back to our hosts. Cole reminds us that 2021 has been the year of Roman Reigns, but Roman isn’t the number one spot. Our top spot this year belongs to a Beast.
We go to SummerSlam, with Roman in the ring celebrating his successful title defense against John Cena when Brock Lesnar’s music hits. Paul Heyman’s reaction to that is still one of the best things ever. Lesnar stalks down the long entrance ramp as Roman moves onto the corner to get a better view at him. Heyman has collapsed to his knees in a corner as Roman eyes down Lesnar while Lesnar circles the ring. Lesnar gets into the ring and menaces Paul Heyman just enough to get him out of the ring. Roman, not afraid, walks up to Lesnar and they engage in a stare down. Both men seem to mutually decide not to get into it physically, Roman heads out of the ring as Heyman screams “No!” and Lesnar hangs out in the ring to end the PPV.
Back to our hosts, Becky says that since she and Lesnar have the same initials they just got them backwards in the order. We get a recap next of Roman Reigns and his title reign. Some graphics about just how long Roman has held that title, a nice touch as we see Roman running over some impressive competition. Of course there was a slight hiccup when Lesnar returned and Roman started doubting Heyman’s loyalty. I still love how Heyman hyped up Brock Lesnar on Smackdown a few weeks ago leading him to violence just by reminding him of who he is. Of course that culminated with a great segment when Roman fired Heyman, and seriously everything about that segment was great. Heyman’s interview when he believes his career might be over is spliced into Lesnar saving Heyman from a con-chair-to and then Lesnar leaving the entire Bloodline laying after F5’s, focusing on Heyman’s line that Roman needs to be protected from Brock Lesnar. Pretty good video package there to try and sell Day 1.
Our hosts run down the Day 1 card, then Becky predicts that 2022 will be the same as every year before, the year of Becky Lynch. Cole thinks he’s going to party with Becky and McAfee, they instead just blow him off but leave Cole with a bottle of champagne. Oh wait, McAfee takes the bottle back as he and Becky head out. Cole with the final bit reminding us that Day 1 is tomorrow to close the show.
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