WWE Smackdown 9/20/2024

WWE Smackdown 9/20/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/wwe-smackdown-9132024.html

Note - Rumors were circulating this week that Smackdown will be going to three hours once Raw moves to Netflix. I have mixed feelings about it. More wrestling is good. It should lead to more people getting on the show and it should lead to matches getting more amounts of time. However, 3 hours is a lot of time especially on a weekday and when the card or show isn't that good, it's going to be a rough 3 hours to sit through. I'm also not real sure if SD has the roster for it at the moment with Roman likely only being a part-time guy, Lashley being gone and Cody/Orton/Owens being older. 

The move to three hours also has other consequences as NXT Level Up is currently on at 10:40PM and would likely have to be moved to accommodate this, but Smackdown could be moved to another day where there would be more viewers available (a lot of people don't watch TV on Fridays) and that would fix that. The move would also put SD up against AEW Rampage, which is rumored to be cancelled and replaced by AEW Shockwave. But nobody knows if Rampage is being cancelled or Shockwave is being created yet, so it's too soon to say

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Corey Graves and Michael Cole are on commentary. We are in Sacramento, California.

The Bloodline arrive and have to go through a metal detector. The guard wants to pat them down and he gets attacked for it by Fatu. The other guards then get attacked as well and Fatu asks if anyone else wants a pat down.

WWE United States Title - LA Knight (c) vs Andrade

They shake hands. Andrade takes him down and is cradled. Andrade slides out on a cutter and we go to break. We return and they trade chops for punches. Andrade top rope crossbodies him. Andrade shoulders him over then takes a forearm. They fight outside and Andrade's head is banged off the commentary table. LA slingshot shoulderblocks him.

LA hits corner spears and is pushed into the post. Andrade hits a top rope moonsault outside. We go to PiP break and return. Andrade flying forearms him. Andrade stomps on him. Andrade takes a ddt for 2. LA stomps on him in the corner then running knees him. LA jumping neckbreakers him for 2. Andrade hits a top rope moonsault into a standing moonsault for 2.

Andrade corner meteora's him for 2. Andrade jawbreakers him then LA powerslams him. LA does a double jump elbow drop of the top then Andrade rolls him up. Andrade spinning back elbows him for 2.

LA tries to jump up to the top but misses like he usually does. Andrade misses a dropkick off the ropes then LA hits a BFT and wins.

They shake hands and show respect to each other after.

Thoughts: It was better than matches LA is usually involved in. There wasn't any real great logic to it though and there were no faces or heels here. LA missed his move where he jumped up to the top again and LA got his eye cut up here.

Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax talk. Tiff is talking about being in the nail salon and said it will feel good to send Bayley or Naomi packing off of SD. Nia hits her in the arm and says "you go girl". Nia says they are going after her title and says if Tiffy loses, it would be a good idea if she leaves SD.

Andrade and Carmelo Hayes talk in the back. Melo asks him what that was and calls it a choke. Melo says it couldn't have been him. Andrade piefaces him and they fight. Melo is thrown into a box and the refs break it up as Melo is slammed on the floor. 

We get a video of Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes meeting up at the Georgia Tech football stadium. Roman says everything Cody puts his eyes on here is his. Roman said he shed blood, sweat and tears here, so this is his field and his stadium. Roman then says this is his city. Roman asks what Cody has done for this city.

Cody says Techwood Studios is on the other side of this stadium, where The Omni was. He said multiple generations of his family have bled for the city. He said Roman played football here and went back to the beach. Cody says this is Roman's field but is his home.

Roman says Cody put himself in a lose-lose situation with nothing to win. Roman said Jimmy, Heyman, his family and his necklace were taken from him. He says he has nothing to lose and has no weight on his neck. He says he's a man with no country and the weight is on Cody's neck. 

Cody said he told him he would be standing here a chief without a tribe before Mania. Cody says we already have a tribal chief and a WWE champ who isn't Roman. Cody says Roman can't beat his own Bloodline and is standing here as the guy everyone used to call Roman Reigns. Cody says he wants Roman's word that he will have his back so he can have Roman's back.

Roman agrees and says he will have his back. Roman says he's taking the title back what's his when this is all done. Cody says it's not his to take. Roman says Cody is in his way. Cody moves. Roman says Cody is in his way, in life.

Thoughts: It was a very different and good segment that set up the Cody/Roman partnership and set up a match between the two down the line.

Kevin Owens is interviewed by Byron as he is seen watching the previous segment on TV. Byron asks him if he has any thoughts and he walks away. We go to break, return and see KO thinking on a box.

Giovanni Vinci vs Apollo Crews

Vinci looks serious and is not showing much emotion. Vinci knees him in the gut and pounds on him. Vinci hits punches and boots. Vinci hits euros and chops. Crews forearms back and takes a double throat thrust. Vinci catches Crews' foot and hits a big lariat.

Vinci hits mounted punches then slams his leg into the ropes several times. Vinci goes for a powerbomb and Crews rolls him up out of it to win.

Crews has his hand raised outside and Crews is sent into the rails by Vinci. Vinci brainbusters him

Thoughts: It was a short one and Vinci lost again after making his return. It's hard to understand why they think this is the best way to get Vinci over.

Byron tries to interview Kevin Owens again. KO says if he will talk about Cody and Roman, he will do it out in the ring.

Kevin Owens comes out to talk. The Bloodline come out before he gets to say anything. Tama Tonga says last week, Cody and Romans embarrassed his tribal chief and he says it's a big mistake. He says they will get what's coming to them at Bad Blood. Tama says KO will get what he has coming by orders of Solo Sikoa.

KO says nobody wants to hear what they have to say and says to get up here so he can punch them in the face. He fights off Tama and Loa then hockey fights with Fatu. Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano come to help. Tama takes a shatter machine and security comes out to stop this.

Nick Aldis comes out. He says he's sick of them fighting each other when a bell isn't ringing. He says there's 3 of them each and says they should do a six-man tag tonight.

Bayley and Naomi talk in the back about the tornado tag match tonight. Bay says neither of them want to leave SD and need to beat Nia or Tiff to get a title opportunity. Both say they want the title and Bay says we are in this together and says may the best woman win. Naomi says she can get the first shot when she beats Nia for the title and Bayley says she can be the first invited to her party.

We see the boxer Callum Walsh at SD and they show clips of him.

Tornado Tag - Bayley and Naomi vs Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton

Bayley or Naomi have to leave Smackdown if they get pinned and get a title shot if they pin Nia or Tiff.

They pair off and fight to start. The heels hit attacks in the corner. Bay and Naomi dosey-do then hit attacks on the heels. Naomi corner splashes Tiff then Bay corner back elbows Tiff. Nia takes a double team shot then Naomi tiger feint bulldogs Tiff. Nia takes a double bulldog into the 2nd buckle.

Nia's head is banged off the apron then Nia takes a double sliding clothesline. Nia pop-up drops Naomi. Bay takes a samoan drop + 2nd rope flipping neckbreaker combo. We go to PiP break and return.

Nia throws Naomi over the rail. Naomi kicks Nia in the head from behind the rail. Tiff is thrown into the rail. Bay topes Nia then Naomi split drops Nia off the apron. Tiff lariats Naomi then Naomi takes a springboard enzugiri + suplex combo. Naomi pulls Bay off the cover as she wants the title shot. They talk and Naomi takes a shot from Nia for Bay.

Nia takes a double back body drop. Nia butt drops Naomi out of the corner. Nia gets stuck on the 2nd rope. Nia hits a 2nd rope legdrop on Naomi as Bay hits a top rope diving elbow on Tiff's neck.

Naomi facebusters Nia then Tiff 2nd rope swantons Nia on accident. Tiff takes a shatter machine then Nia samoan drops Bay and Naomi pin Nia at the same time and we are left wondering who won as there was a double pin with a title shot on the line for the winner of the fall.

Thoughts: It was a decent match here with some different stipulations. It wasn't quite the epic it should have been and they did a little more than they usually do here. I enjoyed this.

We see Chelsea Green in construction worker clothes and we see a garbage truck. She says it's time to take the trash out and has trash thrown at her. She says it's unfair she has to fight Michin on her own turf. We see her beating up dummies and see her throwing one into the dumpster. She hears something in the dumpster and thinks it was a raccoon. She then fights off bees and says Michin will pay for this. The announcers then say this was Green's way of asking for a dumpster match. Cole says it'll happen in 2 weeks and he gets stoked to see Green put in a dumpster.

Andrade and Carmelo Hayes fight in a 6th match next week.

Nick Aldis talks to Bayley and Naomi in the back. Nick says they both have a claim to a title shot. He says there can only be one, so they face each other for a title shot next week. They then look at each other and don't know what to say. 

Kevin Owens and DIY vs The Bloodline (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Jacob Fatu)

DIY are beat up in the back before this starts. KO head up the aisle as Bloodline come out. KO takes a 3v1. The Street Profits then come out and fight Bloodline. KO does a top rope swanton onto everyone.

Kevin Owens and The Street Profits vs The Bloodline (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Jacob Fatu)

This started during the break. KO pounds on Loa. Dawkins yanks on Loa's arm then Ford slingshot swantons Loa. KO sentons Loa then Loa lariats Ford. Fatu clubs on Ford. Fatu sends Ford into the corner hard. Tama slingshot swantons Ford. Fatu flying back elbows Ford.

Dawkins gets in and hits a nice flying back elbow on Fatu. He clears off the heels 1v3. He goes for a corkscrew corner splash and Fatu superkicks him. Fatu does a double jump moonsault on Dawkins.

WE go to break and return. Tama neckbreakers Dawkins. Dawkins avoids a splash and exploders Tama. Fatu sentons Dawkins. Dawkins flying enzugiri's Fatu. Fatu misses a corner splash and goes into the post. Ford top rope crossbodies Fatu. Ford lariats Tama.

Ford hits kicks then flying knees Tama. Ford backdrops Tama then standing moonsaults him for 2. Ford enzugiri's Tama. KO is tagged in and runs around the ring to lariat Loa and Fatu. KO sentons Fatu on the floor then splashes Loa on the foor off the apron.

KO cannonballs Tama. KO hits a top rope swanton on Tama. Dawkins lariats Fatu over the top and goes with him. KO 2nd rope fisherman's busters Tama. KO stunners Tama then is thrown into the steps by Loa on the pin attempt. The ref throws it out and Fatu topes Dawkins. Ford tope con hilos Fatu.

Thoughts: The finish was lame here but the work was good. Ford really had a good showing and they really put Fatu over as the next big thing. It was athletic and fast paced and really should have been allowed to keep going. Matches like this really make you wonder why they never give Ford a chance to try his luck as a singles guy.

Fatu throws Dawkins over the rails after. KO tkaes a triple team. Ford is slammed then takes a top rope splash from Fatu. DIY come out to help and fight Bloodline. Fatu superkicks Ciampa and Gargano. Cody Rhodes eventually comes out with a chair. He nails Tama and Loa with it. Cody's chair is superkicked by Fatu then cody hits a cody cutter. Cody and KO end up in the ring. KO grabs a chair and looks like he's going to hit Cody with it. Cody turns around and KO drops the chair. Cody wants to shake hands and KO is hesitant but does.

Thoughts: There's definitely something going on with Cody and KO here. Hopefully they continue with it and it goes somewhere between the Cody/Roman stuff.

Overall thoughts: It was a good show. I liked the main, though it had a bad finish. The Cody/Roman and Cody/KO segments were good. LA/Andrade was a little better than LA's usual offerings. Vinci's booking is stupid but it's leading somewhere and the women's tag match sadly didn't get us much further than where we started.