WWE Smackdown 11/15/2024

WWE Smackdown 11/15/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/wwe-smackdown-1182024.html

We are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Michael Cole and Corey Graves are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive. 

Cody Rhodes comes out to talk. He said Kevin Owens crossed the line and tells him to come out. Nick Aldis comes out instead. He says KO used a piledriver. He says the move is outlawed as they don't want their wrestlers in wheelchairs in 20 years. He says KO crossed the line and says he can't have him here until they figure it out. Cody says Aldis is giving KO what he wants.

Nick says this is about giving the roster an inch and watching them take a mile. He says KO can't be here until the situation is resolved internally. Cody asks Nick to imagine being the one in the ambulance and having Kevin Owens take credit for it. He says Orton told him he was proud of him at Mania and says he will cherish it forever.  He asks what he expects him to do if he can't beat him up in the ring. He says he knows Aldis doesn't want him beating up KO At his house. He says the ball is in Aldis' court and he won't be waiting very long.

Sami Zayn, Jimmy and Jey Uso  talk in the back. Jimmy was on the phone talking with Roman. He says Roman is coming and wants them all to meet to discuss the plan for Wargames. Sami says there's someone else he could ask to team with them and says it's worth a shot.

Women's United States Title Tournament 1st Round - Bayley vs Candice LeRae vs B-Fab

CL pounds on Bay then slaps Fab. Fab forearms and lariats her over. Fab slams her. Fab sliding lariats her then hits mounted punches. Fab side kicks her. Fab kicks CL in the gut and double clotheslines her opponents.

We go to PiP break and return. Bay 2nd rope elbow drops the back of Fab's neck. The three trade forearms on their knees then they all knock each other down at the same time. CL codebreakers Bay while doing a senton to Fab's back.

We get a tower of doom spot with CL rolling on Bay on the superplex attempt. Fab picks CL up like a slam and flatliners her. Fab facebusters Bay for 2. Bay belly to belly suplexes Fab. Fab rolls up CL for 2. CL misses an asai moonsault. Bay throws CL into the buckles chest first.

Fab slaps Bay and hits a uranage. Bay rolls up Fab and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't that great as expected. Fab has never been that good and three-ways are rarely ever great. At least it didn't go that long. I thought it was obvious Bay would win here.

Sami Zayn talks to LA Knight in the back. LA heads to the ring.

The Street Profits and B-Fab talk in the back. Piper Niven and Chelsea Green mock Fab when The Profits leave. Piper says not everyone can be champion. Green says they can though and says they will let her hold the title when they do. Fab calls Green "Trash Can Chelsea". She asks what they will do when they meet for the title. Michin walks in to help out Fab and Green tries to get Piper to leave with her.

LA Knight talk in the ring. He says everyone is coming for his title. He says Sami wants him to join The Bloodline Civil War. LA says that's not his fight and he doesn't need or want it. He says he's fine if The Bloodline destroy each other. He brings up Logan Paul. He issues an open challenge and Legado del Fantasma come out.

Santos asks why LA can't say something cool. He says the fans sound like they are from a different planet. He says LA should say something cool like, "Es-co-bar, Si".

He says Elektra Lopez has the chance to become the Women's US champ and says he should bring the Men's US title to his family. LA says he beat Santos already but could give Berto the opportunity of a lifetime. He says Berto like his daddy but says Elektra Lopez can only call him daddy. He says while Berto yells uncle and Lopez calls him daddy, he says everyone will say, "L-A-Knight, Yeah". Berto then beats up on LA.

WWE Men's United States Title - LA Knight (c) vs Berto

We join this in progress. Berto hits a shot on him. LA jumps up to the top but is pushed down. Berto top rope dropkicks him. Berto does a grounded cobra twist. LA lariats him over the top and goes with him. LA bangs Berto's head off the commentary table.

LA ddt's him for 2. Berto back rolls him then springboard kicks him off the bottom rope. Berto top rope moonsaults but LA gets his feet up. LA powerslams him then misses an elbow drop. Berto dropkicks him in the corner. LA double jump springboard elbow drops him then pins him with a BFT.

Thoughts: LA won as expected here. It was just average for the most part and we missed some of it as it started during the break. At least it was one I don't think we saw before.

Shinsuke Nakamura appears in the ring and knocks LA down after. He's wearing samurai gear and red face paint.

Jey Uso tells Jimmy Uso they are in trouble and need a 5th member. Sami comes in and says it's not looking good. They head into Roman's room.

Jimmy, Jey and Sami are in Roman's room and Roman finally walks in. They tell Roman they can't find someone to team with them. Jey tells Roman they gotta make the call.

The Bloodline come out. Solo says to acknowledge him. Roman, Sami, Jimmy and Jey come out. The two groups fight.  Jey suicide dives a bunch of people outside and Fatu gets shots in on Roman from behind. Fatu superkicks Jey and Jimmy. Roman spears Solo. Sami tope con hilos outside. Roman and Fatu square off.

Bronson Reed hits Roman from behind then corner splashes him. Fatu hits a corner hip attack. The faces then fight back and get beat down again. Reed lariats Sami. Fatu top rope moonsaults Sami. Reed top rope splashes Jimmy. Roman sends Loa into the post and Tama hits Roman from behind.

Roman superman punches Tama, Fatu nad Reed. Solo samoan spikes Roman. Fatu top rope moonsaults Roman. Reed top rope splashes Roman. Solo talks trash to Roman after. The Bloodline poses and Jey later tells Roman to make the call.

Thoughts: Reed joining this is kind of funny. I think this is pretty much confirms Seth is going to be involved in Wargames now.

We see clips of a Kevin Owens video. He says he was turned away from the arena today because of what he did to Randy Orton. He said he did his job to Orton. He says Nick Aldis asked him to come to SD next week as Cody wants him there. KO says he shouldn't show up, but he will. He says he will do it for himself as he loves Utah and says everyone needs to remember that he is just doing what everyone wants him to do.

WWE Tag Titles - The Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs The Street Profits

Sabin and Ford go at it. Ford backs him up in the corner and boots on him. Ford blocks a sunset flip. Savin flips him and they stand off. Sabin armdrags him. Ford takes an atomic drop into an indian deathlock and baseball slide.

Ford hits a big lariat on Alex. Dawkins pounces Alex over the commentary table. We go to break and return. Dawkins drives Alex into the corner and misses a corkscrew splash. Alex upkicks Ford and tags out. Sabin boots Ford then 2nd rope diving headscissors him. Ford is back body dropped out. Sabin cannonballs off the apron and Alex flying knees off the apron.

Ford takes a top rope dropkick + flatliner combo for 2. Sabin is popped up into a german for 2. Ford is pushed off the top by Tomasso Ciampa for the DQ.

Ciamp throws Dawkins into the post then stomps and pounds on Ford. Sabin and Gargano try to stop Ciampa. Ciampa pushes Gargano over and says we didn't talk about this. He says he wants the titles.

Alex helps Dawkins up after and Dawkins punches out Alex.

Thoughts: What we got of this was fine but we sadly didn't get to see a real finish here. The two teams worked together fine as expected.  

Naomi is in the back. Bayley goes up to her and says she's excited to see her win the title. Naomi congratulates her on her win. Bay says to watch out for Iyo. Bianca and Jade walk in. Jade says we got this and says they have her back if anything happens tonight.

WWE Women's Title - Nia Jax (c) vs Naomi

Tiffany Stratton is with Nia. Naomi hits some shots on Nia to start. Nia drives her in the corner for corner spears. Nia swings her around off the guillotine then corner splashes her. Nia misses an elbow drop and Naomi head kicks her. Naomi split drops her for 2. Bianca, Jade and Tiff are watching in the back.

Nia bodyblocks Naomi and throws her out. Naomi slingshot sunset flips her for 2 then Nia lariats her. Naomi slides out of a lariat and upkicks Nia. Nia back elbows her. Nia bangs Naomi's head off the mat. Nia pushes Naomi's throat against the ropes. Nia hits a nice pop-up headbutt. Naomi hits a heatseeker piledriver then topes Nia. Naomi pounds on her outside.

We go to PiP break and return. Nia bodyblocks her and headbutt drops her. Nia half crabs her. Naomi hits a code red off of Nia's shoulder. Naomi boots her out of the corner then kicks her off the ropes. Naomi crossbodies her off the ropes then 2nd rope enzugiri's her. Naomi hits a hip attack for 2.

Nia pop-up samoan drops her. Nia gets on the 2nd rope and is pushed down to the floor. Naomi top rope crossbodies her outside. We cut to the back. Liv and Raquel are beating up Jade and Bianca. Tiff nails Naomi from behind and Nia legdrops Naomi's neck.

Nia gets stuck on the buckles. Naomi goes up. Nia goes for a top rope slam and Naomi rolls her down, slamming Nia. Bayley comes out and nails Tiff then sends her into the rails. Naomi rolls up Nia. Naomi sends Nia's shoulder into the post and hits a split-legged moonsault for 2.

Candice LeRae comes out and pushes Bayley into the post. Nia 2nd rope samoan drops Naomi. Nia banzai drops Naomi and wins.

Thoughts: The match was pretty good. Nia had one of her best showings yet, taking a big bump off a 2nd rope slam reversal and doing a bunch of creative offense to Naomi. Naomi held up her part as well. We also had a ton of shenanigans to tie various storylines together. I enjoyed this a lot and did not expect much going into it.

Nia, LeRae and Tiff pose over Naomi after.

We cut to the back. Roman looks all messy and checks his phone. He says to call The Wiseman and the number is not in service. Roman is shocked and drops the phone.

Overall thoughts: The women's match was the best thing here on an otherwise forgettable episode of Smackdown. The tag title match had a DQ finish which brought it down and neither the three way or the LA Knight were anything special. Everything made sense but I would only recommend checking out the main on this one. I'd give this a 5 out of 10.