WWE SmackDown Recap & Reactions (Oct. 25, 2016): Survive if She Lets You

WWE SmackDown Live aired this week on the USA Network, coming from Green Bay, Wisconsin. The blue brand is building towards the annual WWE Survivor Series. For full recap and live blog, click here. For more coverage, check out this week’s Live After SmackDown Live with special guest Fizzy.

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The Yellow Champion

The WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, returned to the show tonight after a two week hiatus after an undisclosed medical emergency. Before Renee Young could even begin the in-ring interview, the number one contender for the SDL Women’s title interrupted.

Bliss started off by mocking Lynch’s injury. She claimed that Lynch had back surgery because the Champ got a yellow streak down her back since Bliss is looking to end her title reign. Bliss fired back at Bliss in her usual fiery yet punning fashion, once even pointing out Bliss’ love of Disney references.

Bliss went to attack Lynch and the two women broke out in a brawl with went outside of the ring. Bliss got the upper hand by sending Lynch into the barricade. She brought Lynch back into the ring and gave her a sick DDT. Adding insult to injury, Bliss got a can of spray paint and put a streak down the Champion’s back. She also promised to defeat Lynch in their match on November 8 in Glasgow, Scotland.

This segment sort of felt like Bliss’ coming out party as a mean girl with a vicious streak. She is literally a Mean Girls version of the Batman character Bane. This was the perfect way to further Alexa Bliss as a threat to Becky Lynch while doing much needed character work for Bliss at the same time.

This was my favorite wrestling segment of the week.

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Captain Nikki Bella

SDL general manager Daniel Bryan found himself in the midst of Natayla’s campaign to the captain of the blue brand’s Women’s team for Survivor Series. Bryan made an offer to Nattie that she did not refuse. Natayla would face another locker room veteran in Nikki Bella for the right be captain. However, whoever lost the match would not be on team at all.

The match was booked and happened immediately after the break. I quite enjoyed Nattie playing a technical bully to Nikki during this match. She gained control after a discus clothesline on the outside of the ring to the Fearless one and proceeded to punish her opponent with submissions, which all would set up for the Sharpshooter.

Nikki Bella was able to out-wrestle Nattie this go round, however, as she reversed a submission attempt into an STS (Stepover Toehold Sleeper)  and won the match, becoming the SmackDown Live women’s team captain.

After the match, some trashy Kardashian wannabe attacked Queen Nikki yet again. But that’s all Carmella seems to be able to do right these days so what can you expect?

On Twitter, Nikki Bella let the World know the name of her new finisher.

YAS QUEEN SLAY!!!

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If You Can’t Beat ‘Em . . . .

The Eater of Worlds, Bray Wyatt, took on Kane at the top of the show in a no disqualification match. The match quickly evolved into a brawl on the outside, which brought Luke Harper out to play. Harper appeared after the lights went out and came back on, standing on the announce table Kane had intended to slam his brother onto.

Harper laid Kane out and gave Wyatt the advantage but into the home stretch of the match, Randy Orton made an appearance, seemingly to help out Kane. There was a stand off in the ring with Wyatt facing a double team attack from Orton and Kane, when, OUTTANOWHERE, Randy delivered an RKO to Kane.

Orton slithered out of the ring as a shocked Wyatt pinned Kane to pick up the pin fall victory. The Wyatts seemed puzzled by Orton’s actions as he left ringside.

Later into the night, Orton was asked why he had chosen to help Bray Wyatt defeat Kane. He said simply, "If you can’t beat ‘em, join em."

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When a Plan Comes Together

SmackDown Live opened this week detailing the story between WWE World Champion, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose, with James Ellsworth smack in the middle of it. Over the past two shows, Ambrose had helped Ellsworth gain two victories over the WWE Champion; once with Ambrose as the ref and another because Styles lost control and got disqualified.

This week, Ellsworth wanted to thank Ambrose for all the help he has given him by accompanying Ambrose to the ring for his non-title match against Styles in the main event. Even though the match was non title, the stakes were high, as if Ambrose won, he would become number one contender for the WWE World Championship.

Ambrose initially turned Ellsworth down. You see, Ambrose had a plan and it worked to perfection for him. He got Styles so upset over losing to Ellsworth, who he deems unworthy in every way, that he would agree to this match tonight. Ambrose equated his technique to delivering a different kind of "low blow" to Styles, who won the title using a very real low blow on Ambrose.

Right before the main event, Ellsworth pleaded with Ambrose once again to allow Ambrose to accompany him ringside. Ambrose relented, showing the softer side of the Lunatic Fringe. A side the lead to Seth Rollins turning on him, actually.

The main event of Styles versus Ambrose was the best night of the night, not surprisingly. The story and flow of the match was very different from any other match the two have had together. Ambrose came at Styles as soon as the bell rang. It seemed as if Ambrose had the Champ’s number. His plan had worked and he was getting one step closer to getting what he feels is rightfully his: the WWE World Championship.

Styles also had a plan, though. He attacked Ellsworth early on in the match, which distracted Dean and allowed Styles to take control. Going off of that, when Ambrose was making a comeback, Styles went back to that well, knowing that the result may be a tad different. He drop kicked Ellsworth hard. Ellsworth, sick of being bullied, retailated against Styles after Ambrose tossed Styles out of the ring . . . right in front of the referee.

Having no other choice, the referee disqualified Dean Ambrose, awarding the match to Styles via disqualification. The smirk on Styles face once he is the winner said it all. He knew that Ellsworth would get worked up and eventually hit Styles. I actually blame the crowd for riling that poor fella up.

The look on Ambrose’s face after seeing it all go down was priceless. Priceless!

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Other Matches and Segments:

  • Ascension versus Hype Bros: This match was qualify for the 10 on 10 Tag Team Survivor Series Elimination match. Heath Slater and Rhyno are automatically in the match because they are current tag team champions. This was a pretty standard TV tag match. Hype Bros won with a Hype Ryder.
  • Spirit Squad versus Beauty and the Man Beast: This impromptu match came about after the Miz talked the Tag Champs into putting the titles on the line. Rhyno got the pin in a fun match after the Gore. The real story here, really, is that the Miz dominated Dolph on commentary. It was brutal. He wasn’t ready!

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Final Thoughts and Opinions:

I am so happy that this show allows the angles for the women just happen. I know the motivations of every woman that appeared on my TV screen tonight. The story are progressing quite nicely and the violence is slowly being ratcheted up and up as the weeks go by. I appreciate not having to be told over and over that something quite nice is happening with the Women’s Division on this show. Great work all around with those the Alexa-Becky angle and the Survivor Series Women’s Team angle.

Randy Orton serving Bray Wyatt just makes sense. It really does. I hope he is a worthy minion for the Eater of Worlds.

I enjoyed every angle on this show. It felt like time was used very wisely. Stories are continuing to grow and takes turns that I cannot readily predict but still somehow make sense in the grand scheme of it all.

Good work, blue brand.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Be sure to catch Talking Smack every week. It is not mandatory in order to enjoy this show but, in my view, does better work some weeks in getting angles and matches over.


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