By the end of last week, WWE announced 3 Title matches for the next SmackDown Live PPV, Clash of Champions. Mostly rematches, as Natalya will try to regain the Women’s Championship, Jinder Mahal the WWE Championship, but The Usos will have to square off with both their #1 contenders, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, and The New Day. But tonight, Sami Zayn is set to face the consequences of his intervention in Kevin Owens match last week and many matches has already been announced.
Welcome to the most must-see Vulture Hound weekly review in history; welcome to… The SmackDown Review brought to you this week by “Doctor Frenchy” Steph (Bradley and I played Monopoly last week, he stopped on the “Go to Jail” corner. Don’t worry, Jake the Jailbird is taking care of him…)
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn welcomed us to The Sami & Kevin Show. Or The Kevin & Sami Show. Well, if the two disagreed with the name on their show, they were okay to say they’re one of the targets of the McMahon family. The same way Daniel Bryan, Bret Hart or Steve Austin were before. Owens confirmed he and Zayn are the latest objects of The McMahon Family Wrath while Sami mentioned SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon is using Orton to do his dirty work, the same way RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon did before. Owens claimed they crawl and fight for their opportunities while Orton is always handed his. But Owens beat Orton last week so Orton could no longer be an option for Shane. Owens and Zayn are smarter and not afraid of neither Orton nor Shane.
Zayn then got out of the ring to come back to the ramp where he smashed Orton with a chair last week. But at the same time, Orton appeared in the ring to hit an RKO on Owens and stared at Zayn. Shane McMahon came to explain he doesn’t have a vendetta against Owens and Zayn. He announced Sami and Owens vs. Orton and a partner of Orton’s choosing for Clash of Champions. But as for tonight, Sami will face Orton, with Kevin Owens handcuffed to the ring rope for the match. Shane wished him good luck, Orton smirked.
HERE ARE THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED:
– Backstage Owens was needed to be explained what was going to happen to him and talk with SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan to fix this handcuff stipulation.
– Shakespeare in Love (Aiden English, no sorry this time…) and Rusev defeated The New Day. After a special 12 Days of Rusev Christmas song, thanks to English, Big E and Kofi Kingston didn’t bring their A-game as they were surpassed by the good teamwork of Rusev and English. Interesting fight that ended when Rusev hit the big kick on Kofi for the win.
– Backstage Mojo Rawley explained to Renee Young why he turned on Zack Ryder. He claimed Ryder was bringing him down and he’s not someone’s tag team partner, but a serious competitor on his own. Mojo issued a challenge to the back: if people didn’t like what he did to Ryder, they could shove it.
– Daniel Bryan was backstage with Carmella, Lana and Tamina Snuka. Carmella said she deserved the spotlight at Clash of Champions, Lana pleaded the case for Tamina Snuka deserving a title shot too. Bryan told them the match is done for the PPV. The Riott Squad appeared and Ruby Riott also asked for a title shot as she pinned Charlotte last week. All the girls started to have words until Bryan yelled to stop them and announce the Clash of Champions match would be a LumberJill match.
– Still backstage, Bobby Roode and Baron Corbin were having words before their match when Dolph Ziggler appeared to taunt them because he is so good he was put in the US title match with Roode and Corbin.
– The Bludgeon Brothers destroyed 2 enhancement talents. What to add…
– Backstage Kevin Owens was not happy because Daniel Bryan refused to change the handcuff stipulation. Zayn told Owens to think about the situation, good thing or bad thing?
– Bobby Roode defeated Baron Corbin by disqualification thanks to Dolph Ziggler who rushed from the announce table to interfere in the match and hit the Zig Zag on Roode. After the bell, Ziggler also hit the Zig Zag on Corbin. Not a Glorious match but the Triple Threat match at Clash of Champions should be very interesting…
– Backstage, Natalya approached Tamina, Lana and Carmella about being LumberJills. She claimed she will have Tamina’s back in her match with Charlotte tonight. She also tried to get the Riott Squad to have her back but they didn’t buy the idea. Natalya thanked the trio for taking out Becky Lynch and Naomi. She continued to please them by saying she’s so honoured to share the spotlight with the most powerful women in WWE, The Riott Squad.
– Video package on Jinder Mahal vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles at Clash of Champions.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKxwaU1vNQ4]
– Charlotte Flair defeated Tamina in a non-title match. Natalya, Lana and Carmella were at ringside. They didn’t interfere as Tamina tapped out when trapped in the Figure-Eight. Natalya taunted Charlotte after the match, telling her she will take the title back at Clash of Champions and The Queen will then bow down to the best there was, is and ever will be. The Riott Squad came out to agree with Natalya as they should give Charlotte a preview of what they have in store for her at Clash of Champions. Sarah Logan noticed how Lana, Carmella and Tamina were nervous and Liv Morgan added no one is safe in a riot. The Riott Squad and the Lumberjills started the brawl as Charlotte retreated with the belt.
– Backstage, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens thanked Daniel Bryan for listening to him. As they thought they were finally rid of the cuffs, security appeared as Bryan confirmed he agrees with Shane as he wanted no interference in the match. Back from commercials, at ringside, Owens refused to be handcuffed but Bryan told him he will be suspended if he refused. Owens finally agreed.
In the main event, Randy Orton was definitely angry and proved it by throwing Zayn to the floor, over the announce table, on top of a barrier and on top of the announce table, crushing a monitor at the same time. A handcuffed Owens was able to distract Orton anyway, but Orton continued the destruction by sending Sami into a barrier, into the steel steps and on top of the announce table again.
A tough and good match, until Sami hit Orton and was able to grab a pair of bolt cutters under the ring to cut Owens’s cuffs. Orton stopped him, ran Owens face-first into the ring post and brought Zayn back to the ring. Orton was definitely too strong but meanwhile, Owens was using the bolt cutters. Zayn avoided the RKO but missed a Helluva Kick. Orton rolled up Zayn for the win.
As Orton was standing tall, Owens dropped him from behind. Sami and Owens were double teaming Orton when Shinsuke Nakamura rushed to the ring for the save. Nakamura hit a big running kick on Owens, then Zayn, then Owens again. Owens ate a Kinshasa while Orton hit the RKO on Zayn. Nakamura and Orton shook hands, letting think Orton found his partner for Clash of Champions.
At the same time, backstage, Shane and Daniel Bryan were talking about what they considered as one of the most satisfying finishes to SmackDown Live since they took over. Bryan asked if Shane’s punishment for Owens and Sami was over yet. Shane said he’s just getting started as he will be the special referee for Owens & Sami vs. Orton & Nakamura at Clash of Champions. Shane added if Owens and Sami lose, they will be fired from not just SmackDown Live, but all of WWE. Daniel Bryan seemed to agree with the Commissioner’s decision…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWaEIuGRWQI]
Good episode with nice matches. But very interesting episode when it comes to the build-up of Clash of Champions. Things are going to shake in Boston and new Champions may come out of nowhere. I’m looking forward to who is going to betray who in the Tag Team match with Zayn and Owens. The Land of Opportunities has never deserved its name more than today, the last PPV of the year is set to be a great one. Well, I hope…
*****
Clash of Champions card (as of December 6):
WWE Championship match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Women’s Championship LumberJill match: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Natalya
WWE United States Championship Triple Threat Match: Baron Corbin (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4 Way match: The Usos (c) vs. Rusev & Aiden English vs. The New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable
Tag Team match, with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon as Special Referee, if Owens & Zayn lose the match, they will be fired from all of WWE:
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
All pics and screencaps courtesy of WWE.com