I started a new job this week (I don’t get paid to do this, I know!) so I’m more tired than usual. Bare with me on this one as it’ll surely be a clunky ride. See, that isn’t even a phrase. Welcome to the most must-see Vulture Hound weekly review in history; welcome to… The SmackDown Review.
Daniel Bryan opened the show in front of his “home crowd” which, considering he comes from Aberdeen, Washington and this was in Seattle, was ridiculous. It’s almost the same distance between those two cities as it is between Birmingham and London in England. I mean, it’s his home state but I digress. Bryan was in the ring and hyped the night’s show being the corporate yes man he now is. Yet, Bryan needed to address someone who disappointed him at Hell in a Cell. No, it wasn’t Shane for losing. It was Sami Zayn. Zayn came out and interrupted Bryan to say he’s the same guy he’s always been, he just reclaimed ownership of his career. Zayn said he and Bryan have a lot in common but Bryan had the support of the fans. Zayn said that if Bryan had been a little smarter in his career, he wouldn’t have had to retire. Ouch.
Kevin Owens came out and ran down Bryan as well for good measure. Talk about kicking a man while he’s down. They said Bryan has become the thing he hated the most, and Zayn called him a sellout. Zayn thanked Owens for sparing him the same fate, and they hugged again. Bryan left and said he was going to find a couple of guys to punch them in the face because Bryan isn’t allowed to use his little fists anymore.
Stick around, this is just filler:
– Charlotte Flair, Naomi and Becky Lynch defeated Lana, Tamina and Natalya. Flair got Lana to tap out to the Figure Eight. After the match, Natalya tried to attack Flair with a chair, but Flair turned the tables and chased her off into the crowd.
– The Fashion Files mystery continued with “Pulp Fashion.” This time the Ascension are looking to help out Breezango to take out their evasive perpetrators. It’s more than likely the “Bludeon Brothers”.
– Sin Cara somehow beat Baron Corbin and I think the world is about the end. Corbin teased making this a U.S. Open Challenge match but then said the challenge was closed, for good. Sin Cara hit a top rope dive onto Corbin on the outside and won via countout. He was also no longer sporting that weird fleshy gear he wore last but had one contact lense in like a weird Kane/Rey Mysterio cross over.
– Backstage, Gable and Benjamin were sporting WWE2K18 jackets despite Benjamin not being in the game. The pair seemed buoyed about being the number 1 contenders for the Uso’s SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
– Dolph Ziggler defeated Bobby Roode again with a rollup and again with a handful of trunks.
– The best friend partnership of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defeated the odd couple of Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura. Backstage, Zayn and Owens gloated but Daniel Bryan informed them it’ll be up to Shane McMahon who they face next week.
MaharAJ Styles:
Interestingly Jinder Mahal was the main talking point for the night. He and the Singh Brothers came to the ring and declared he beaten all challengers on Smackdown and wanted to remove all doubt that he is a worthy champion. To do that, he will defeat a person the WWE Universe thinks is unbeatable. He officially challenged Brock Lesnar, yes, you read correct. The Maharaja wants to take on the Beast Incarnate at Survivor Series. He said when he defeats Lesnar, everyone will be forced to bow down and kiss his feet. Mmm nice. He was interrupted by AJ Styles, who said he’s at the front of the line. He pointed out that Mahal has never beaten him and challenged Mahal for the WWE Championship. Styles then hit out on Jinder with a strike combination and a Pele Kick and sent him and the Singh Brothers back where they came from… Canada.