Tonight’s Smackdown promises to be very newsworthy. Not only is this the final Smackdown before Survivor Series, it is also the 900th episode. Advertised tonight is the return of Edge and the Cutting Edge talk show, plus the return of the Undertaker. Could we be in store for other surprises as well?
Smackdown Live! Review – Undertaker Returns
The show opened with a rundown of highlights from the previous 899 episodes, which included The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and the infamous Brock Lesnar and Big Show superplex that broke the ring.
Mauro Ranillo welcomed us to the show and said tonight is going to be “L-I-T.” Insert eye roll here. Shane McMahon’s music played and he made his way to the stage. Daniel Bryan joined him. Bryan put over the Cutting Edge segment and the return of the Undertaker. Bryan said it has been three and a half years since the Undertaker has been on Smackdown. Shane said there was no better way to kick off Smackdown than with the Intercontinental Championship match. The Miz and Maryse made their way to the ring.
Mauro Ranillo introduced the rest of the announce team and said Tom Phillips was the “host” of the show, whatever that is supposed to mean. The team recapped when The Miz won the championship back at Backlash. Dolph Ziggler made his entrance. The announce team recapped when Ziggler regained the Intercontinental Championship at No Mercy. The match received the championship style introduction. The two went back and forth with both attempting to hit their finishing maneuvers a couple of times to start the match. The announce team debated who would be a better fit to defend the championship at Survivor Series, with JBL saying The Miz and David Otunga saying Ziggler. Both men had a stare down as the show went to a commercial break.
Back from commercial, Ziggler caught Miz with a drop kick as Miz came off the top rope. A replay showed Miz throwing Ziggler into the ringside barricade during the commercial. Otunga said that Miz uses his wife to get ahead, and JBL called Otunga out for doing the same thing with his wife. Hilarious. The Miz attempted to pin Ziggler by using the ropes, but the referee saw it and stopped the count. After the Miz argued with the ref, he turned around and ducked his head for some reason. Oh, it was to take a Fameasser from Ziggler for a good nearfall. The show went to another commercial.
Back from commercial, Miz mocked a “Yes!” chant and did Daniel Bryan’s kicks to a kneeling Ziggler followed by Bryan’s running knee. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale and covered Ziggler who kicked out at the very last possible second. After some more back and forth, Ziggler hit the Zig Zag and covered, but the Miz put his foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin. Ziggler setup for the super kick when the Spirit Squad ran down. Ziggler kicked both men off the ropes when Miz kicked the ropes in to his leg and locked in the figure four. Ziggler fought his way to the ropes to force the break. Miz pulled Ziggler back to the center of the ring and tried for the figure four again, but Ziggler rolled him into a small package. They were close enough to the ropes to allow Maryse to push the Miz and roll the pin over, which got the win for the Miz. Miz celebrated with Maryse and the Spirit Squad while Ziggler looked completely dejected. Miz will defend against Sami Zayn on Sunday at Survivor Series.
The announce team recapped Monday Night RAW when the Smackdown team was made to look like second rate wrestlers by the RAW team and hyped the Cutting Edge segment for later tonight. A video aired showing the time on Smackdown where Stone Cold Steve Austin destroyed the DX Express.
Rating – 8/10: A very good match, but it feels like it is too close to Survivor Series for the title to change hands. The entire build has been about Ziggler and Zayn and now it is all for nothing with Miz taking Ziggler’s spot. Since there was interference, maybe Shane McMahon or Daniel Bryan will do something to change it. Here is hoping the blue team gets a chance to get some heat back before the tag match on Sunday.
Backstage, Alexa Bliss was complaining to Daniel Bryan about the way she lost to Becky Lynch. Bryan said he understood, but the referee’s decision was final but she will get a rematch. Bryan said he needed her to focus on the Smackdown Women’s tag team match. Natalya came in blowing her whistle and said this was a teachable moment that Bliss will get knocked down, but get back up again, no one will ever keep you down. Bliss called her out for quoting Chumbawamba and left.
NXT’s Oney Lorcan was in the ring for his Smackdown debut. Kalisto made his entrance. As Kalisto was looking outside the ring, Lorcan blasted him with a running European uppercut. Lorcan hit him with a German suplex. Kalisto kicked him then went for a springboard move but slipped on the middle rope. A short time later, Kalisto hit Salida del Sol to pin Lorcan. The announce team talked about the Kalisto and Brian Kendrick match for Survivor Series.
In the back, the Undertaker’s hat was show sitting on a box. A hand, presumably the Undertaker’s, reached in and grabbed it. A video replayed the very first Smackdown when Shawn Michaels super kicked the Rock to allow HHH to retain the World Championship.
Rating – 6/10: A short match, but effective in putting Kalisto over. It is sort of odd to waste any NXT performer’s debut in what was basically a squash match. The Undertaker backstage segment was a little strange, in that it makes it seem like a tease that perhaps it isn’t the Undertaker.
Backstage, The Usos, American Alpha, Hype Bros, and Heath Slater and Rhyno were backstage getting pumped for their tag match. Slater said they brought a motivational speaker to talk to them, and in walked King Booker. Booker played up the king gimmick and called it “Survivor Series games.” Breezango walked in making siren noises and handed out fashion police tickets. Booker said if they want to win, they have to dress as champions, not as rejects of the Pirates of the Carribean. Booker said they needed to get themselves dressed correctly and handed them Smackdown shirts. The rest of the tag teams chanted “all hail King Booker.”
Nikki Bella made her entrance and Ranillo said “this girl is a real crowd pleaser” in another failed attempt to sound hip. Ranillo said the women will have to work together Sunday, but tonight Bella and Carmella will go one on one as the show went to commercial.
Rating – 6/10: Sure, Booker T has been around on the kick off shows, but seeing the King Booker sure did bring back some memories. It was weird to see the Usos yucking it up with American Alpha considering they literally just blew out Chad Gable’s knees a few weeks ago.
A video aired that showed John Cena’s debut against Kurt Angle and him shaking the Undertaker’s hand backstage after the match. Perhaps a tease of what is to come tonight?
Carmella made her entrance to zero reaction. The women squared off before Carmella took off and ran around the ring. Nikki did the Cena “you can’t see me” gesture and performed a drop kick. Carmella eventually rolled outside and performed a neck breaker from the apron to the floor, then slammed her face into the ground. Carmella locked in a chin lock, which Nikki broke free from by backing Carmella into a corner. Carmella continued to work over Bella’s neck area. Carmella went for a bronco buster, but Bella moved out of the way. Suddenly, Charlotte was in the crowd and walked to ringside holding a ticket in her hand. Charlotte sat down at ringside as the show went to commercial.
Back from commercial, Carmella had Bella locked into a THIRD chin lock that Bella quickly broke out of. The camera focused on Charlotte sitting at ringside. Nikki hit an Alabama slam then threw Carmella into the barricade right in front of Charlotte. Charlotte started talking trash and Bella punched her and pulled her over the barricade. The rest of the RAW women hit the ring and attacked Bella. Carmella jumped in and the RAW team beat her up. The rest of the Smackdown women came down and pulled the RAW women outside. Nia Jaxx attempted to run through Becky Lynch at the time keepers barricade, but Lynch moved and Jaxx went crashing through. In the end, the Smackdown women stood tall.
Backstage, the Undertaker’s shadow was shown on a wall, and then walked away.
Rating – 7/10: The match was plodding before the break. Some of the moves were nice looking, but the match felt slow. The post-match fight was good and put over the match on Sunday pretty well, but it felt very strange to see Bayley and Sasha Banks attacking Bella. I get the teammate aspect, but Bayley especially felt out of place attacking a single person with five other women.
A video package plugged the Goldberg and Brock Lesnar match for Survivor Series.
Back in the ring, the Headbangers, Spirit Squad, Ascension and the Vaudevillians were in the ring. They will take on the Hype Bros, Usos, American Alpha and Breezango in a 16 man tag team match.
The Smackdown representatives worked well together and eventually focused on Simon Gotch. The crowd chanted “we want Slater” and “we want Rhyno.” JBL pointed out that if one person is pinned on Sunday, both members of that team are gone. So, for example, if Tyler Breeze is pinned, he and Fandango are eliminated. Zack Ryder knocked one member of the Ascension to the outside and hit a baseball slide. All 16 men faced off outside of the ring before going to commercial break.
Back from commercial, there was a big spot fest where team after team took turns hitting their moves on one another. The Usos even went back to full fledged baby faces for a moment and performed their tandem suicide dive. American Alpha hit Grand Amplitude on one of the Headbangers for the victory.
The announce team hyped the WWE Network, Survivor Series, and TLC.
Edge made his entrance, which, in my opinion, is still one of the most iconic ones of all time with the music, smoke and fireworks. Edge will be the guest on SportsCenter tomorrow night. Ranillo noted that Edge won 31 championships during his career. The Cutting Edge is next.
Rating – 5/10: The tag match was basically a spot fest that served it’s purpose of giving the Smackdown team a win. Edge got a very good reaction. The show is closing with the Undertaker, which leads one to think they will be setting something up for him. Will Cena interrupt to set up the long rumored Wrestlemania 33 match?
Back from commercial, Edge said that anyone who knows him knows that he bleeds blue and that he helped build this show. Edge introduced Team Smackdown. AJ Styles lead the way, followed by Dean Ambrose, the mascot James Ellsworth, Shane McMahon, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. Edge said Smackdown has been a show that represents opportunity for people and one man personified that, and he wanted to shake his hand. He acted like he was going to shake Styles’ hand but instead shook Ellsworth’s hand. Ellsworth said he wanted to do a five second pose with Edge. Styles shut it down and said he was the face that runs the place and said that no one cared about Edge and told him to do his job and ask a question.
Edge addressed Randy Orton and asked what was going on with him. Bray Wyatt said the Randy that Edge once knew was dead and that on Sunday, the world will see a far more dangerous viper than ever before. Edge told Shane McMahon he had his work cut out for him if he wants the team to get along and work together. Shane said no one has to like each other, but for one night, they all had to be on the same page. Shane called the show “Shaneomackdown” and Styles correctly said that sounded stupid. Styles said it was hard to be on the same page because Ambrose is a hot head. Ambrose said he was playing nice until after Survivor Series because at TLC, he is taking his championship back.
Suddenly, the Undertaker’s gong hit and the lights went out. The crowd popped huge. Smoke filled the arena and Taker slowly made his way to the ring. Taker stopped and the camera got an awesome silhouette shot of the Dead Man with a spot light behind him.
When Undertaker got in the ring, he immediately went face-to-face with Shane McMahon. Taker said there is no better man to be the commissioner of Smackdown than the man who has no fear. The crowd chanted “Shane-o-mac.” Taker said he was here for two reasons. Number one, he said, was that Wrestlemania would no longer define who he is. He said he is back, taking souls and digging holes. Taker said that Survivor Series was where he was born and that Smackdown has always been his home. The crowd started a loud “Undertaker” chant. Taker said the second reason he was out there was to say there was no reason to fear failing, but if they fail, they have reason to fear the Deadman. Taker said Team RAW better rest in peace.
Rating – 7/10: AJ Styles and Edge were both strong here. It’s too bad we couldn’t get something with these two at some point. The Undertaker returning at this point felt like he was going to somehow get himself in the match, but it just did not happen. No Cena either. The end of the show was sort of rushed, as the show ended right as JBL started to say something. Survivor Series should be a fun match and will be interesting to see where they all end up after the event. Next week, we might even have the Cruiserweight division on Smackdown.
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