{"id":293,"date":"2016-09-13T22:13:48","date_gmt":"2016-09-14T02:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=293"},"modified":"2016-09-13T22:20:53","modified_gmt":"2016-09-14T02:20:53","slug":"smackdown-live-review-9132016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2016\/09\/13\/smackdown-live-review-9132016\/","title":{"rendered":"Smackdown Live Review 9\/13\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo:WWE.com<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s time to break down yet another episode of your delight every Tuesday night,\u00a0Smackdown Live<\/strong>. This week, the show was live from\u00a0Philadelphia, Pennsylvania<\/strong>\u00a0and we saw a tag team main event filled with stars and champions. Also, a new number one contender was crowned for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Here\u2019s Shawn Wilken<\/strong>\u2018s Smackdown Live\u00a0review.<\/p>\n

Smackdown Live\u00a0Review 9\/13\/2016<\/h2>\n

The Champ that runs the Camp<\/h3>\n

Kicking things off this week,\u00a0AJ Styles\u00a0<\/strong>came out to a well-accepted reaction as the new\u00a0WWE World Heavyweight Champion<\/strong>. With a smile on his face and a\u00a0John Cena\u00a0<\/strong>armband on his bicep, he proudly exclaimed that “The Champ is here!” In an “I told you so” style promo, Styles let everyone know they could buy a lottery tomorrow with his suggested numbers and they’d all be millionaires.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, his millionaire attitude was halted when Cena himself came out to confront the new Champion. Stating Styles had something that belonged to him and that he wanted it back, the Phenomenal One comically tossed him back his armband. That wasn’t what Cena was referring to. It was the brand new Championship title around Styles’ waist. As he cut his speech about tying\u00a0Ric Flair<\/strong>‘s infamous 16-time run as World Champion, a disgruntled\u00a0Dean Ambrose\u00a0<\/strong>made his way down to the ring.<\/p>\n

With Ambrose putting Styles on the radar as a newly-made enemy, he then got into a war of words with Cena. The two traded jabs back-and-forth, much to the delight of the Philly crowd. The Smackdown commissioner Shane McMahon\u00a0<\/strong>then announced one hell of a main event at\u00a0No Mercy<\/strong>, where AJ Styles will defend his title against Dean Ambrose and John Cena, in a triple threat match.<\/p>\n

But for Smackdown tonight, the main event was announced; AJ Styles and a mystery partner would face the team of John Cena and Dean Ambrose.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 9\/10\u00a0Phenomenal Forearms<\/h4>\n

The Hype Bros vs. The Usos<\/h3>\n

Dawning a new look and attitude,\u00a0The Usos\u00a0<\/strong>have gotten that breath of fresh air they so desperately needed. \u00a0The match was short, and it had some good heel work from Jimmy and Jey. Despite a\u00a0Mojo\u00a0<\/strong>Rawley\u00a0<\/strong>hot tag,\u00a0The Hype Bros\u00a0<\/strong>never got much offense in, and The Usos put away their tag team opponents. In what has become a highly-competitive tag team division, The Usos have made their statement to become contenders for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 5\/10\u00a0Samoan Superkicks<\/h4>\n

Face the Facts with Curt Hawkins<\/h3>\n

We get a closer look into\u00a0Curt Hawkins<\/strong>‘ new character. Some would even say, a little too close.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 3\/10 Tyson Kidd Facts<\/h4>\n

Ziggler’s Last Opportunity<\/h3>\n

Claiming he was the greatest\u00a0Intercontinental Champion\u00a0<\/strong>of all time,\u00a0The Miz\u00a0<\/strong>believes he has brought more prestige to the title than anyone before him.\u00a0Dolph Ziggler\u00a0<\/strong>was then out to suggest that Miz proved everyone right. He couldn’t win without his wife. Tensions started to rise and Smackdown General Manager\u00a0Daniel Bryan\u00a0<\/strong>was out to announce a rematch between the two at No Mercy. Miz had other plans. Before leaving through the crowd, he let Bryan know that there would be no title defense until his contract was negotiated.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 4\/10 Hairsprays<\/h4>\n

The Lone Wolf Wants Gold<\/h3>\n

AJ Styles spotted\u00a0Baron Corbin<\/strong> and immediately came up with the idea that the two should team up to take on Ambrose and Cena. Big Banter Baron had other plans, stating if the two were to be in the same ring, it would be against each other.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 5\/10\u00a0End of Days<\/h4>\n

Baron Corbin vs. Apollo Crews<\/h3>\n

While the match never officially started, due to Corbin attacking\u00a0Apollo Crews\u00a0<\/strong>before the bell, the Smackdown crowd was treated to another surprise.\u00a0Jack Swagger\u00a0<\/strong>was out to announce that his contract was up with\u00a0Monday Night Raw<\/strong>. With Swagger now on Smackdown, new things may come for the All American American. Although the promo fell flat with the awkward Rolling Stones references, the new attitude of Jack Swagger has left us wondering what could be cooking.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality-\u00a05\/10 Proud Americans<\/h4>\n

The Era of Becky “Balboa” Lynch<\/h3>\n

Before the match to determine the number one contender for the Smackdown Women’s Championship,\u00a0Becky Lynch\u00a0<\/strong>came out to declare she was a fighting champion. Fitting to call herself Becky Balboa while in Philly, Lynch thanked the crowd who rightfully cheered “You Derserve It” at the newly-crowned champion.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 7\/10 Hearts on Fire<\/h4>\n

Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Nikki Bella vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella<\/h3>\n

As Becky Lynch sat by ringside, the five women battled in a non-elimination match to determine who would face her at No Mercy. All five competitors got in their fair share of offense, with Natalya<\/strong> looking like the early favorite. Plenty of teases and false finishes for Nikki Bella<\/strong> and Naomi<\/strong>, however the match came to a conclusion with\u00a0Alexa Bliss\u00a0<\/strong>standing tall, stealing a win from Carmalla<\/strong>. Smackdown’s Little Monster now sets her sights on Becky Lynch.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 6.5\/10 Sparkles<\/h4>\n

Phenomenal Demons?<\/h3>\n

The search continued backstage as AJ Styles is still in need of a tag team partner for the main event. That is, until he spotted\u00a0Kane<\/strong>. His hopes set high, Styles hyped up the potential team of The Phenomenal One and The Devil’s Favorite Demon. Kane laughed and walked away. And laughed some more. Back to the drawing board for Styles.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 5\/10\u00a0Hell, Fire and Brimstone<\/h4>\n

Heath Slater gets his Contract<\/h3>\n

Following a triumphant win at\u00a0Backlash<\/strong>, the one man band\u00a0Heath Slater\u00a0<\/strong>was out to become an official member of the Smackdown roster. Dawning his brand new shirt, Slater wasted no time putting ink to paper. Thanking Rhyno<\/strong>, his kids, and God knows who else, Slater stated that they would be prepared any place, any time to take on anyone.<\/p>\n

Out came The Ascension<\/strong> to ruin the party. Answering the challenge, a reluctant Heath Slater and his partner Rhyno would defend their titles.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 7\/10\u00a0Slater’s Kids<\/h4>\n

Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. The Ascension<\/h3>\n

The first defense was a quick, and seemingly easy. The Ascension got their share of offense in, but a botch mid-way took all the air out of their cushion. The bout ending shortly after the failed spot, as Rhyno hit the gore for the three count.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 2\/10 Botchamanias<\/h4>\n

A Familiar Face Returns<\/h3>\n

Down on his luck, Styles headed to the ring without a partner. Daniel Bryan showed up to ask if he found anyone and when it became obvious he did not, Bryan made a suggestion. Enter\u00a0James Ellsworth<\/strong>, the lovable jobber that was crushed by Raw’s\u00a0Braun Strowman\u00a0<\/strong>in July. Disgusted by the sight of him, Styles stormed off.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 5.5\/10\u00a0Seconds of Fame<\/h4>\n

Randy Orton Addresses Bray Wyatt<\/h3>\n

After an attempt to end a career,\u00a0Randy Orton\u00a0<\/strong>let\u00a0Bray Wyatt\u00a0<\/strong>know that his efforts had failed. Challenging him to a fight, Orton called out the eater of worlds for being afraid of him. Wyatt appeared, advising Orton to never sleep again. A flicker of the light later and Wyatt was by ringside, taunting Orton. Then,\u00a0Erick Rowan\u00a0<\/strong>showed up and attacked Orton from behind, only to be hit with an RKO. The Apex Predator stood tall, but rest assured this rivalry is far from over.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 7\/10\u00a0Trips to Viperville<\/h4>\n

John Cena & Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles & James Ellsworth?<\/h3>\n

Before\u00a0James Ellsworth could even get down the ramp, he was attacked by The Miz. Hitting the Skull-Crushing Finale, Miz declared his rightful spot in the main event. For Ellsworth, it was yet another heart-break on national television.<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 7\/10\u00a0Jawless Jobbers<\/h4>\n

John Cena & Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles & The Miz<\/h3>\n

There wasn’t much time left in the show, which meant the two teams quickly went to work and hit all the big spots. John Cena got his usual moves in ended the match with a thunderous Attitude Adjustment on The Miz. Unhappy with Cena taking the spotlight, Dean Ambrose hit a Dirty Deeds on Cena, post-match. What could this mean for The Lunatic Fringe? A possible turn in fan perception, or just a breaking point in his frustrations?<\/p>\n

Segment\/Match Quality- 5\/10 Woo\u2019s<\/h4>\n

Best Segment\/Match of the Night-\u00a0Opening Segment<\/h3>\n

Smackdown truly kicked off with a bang this week. The announcement of the No Mercy main event, thrilling promos from all three men. What more could a fan ask for? Dean Ambrose continues to shine on the microphone, and we heard a different tone in John Cena’s voice this week. A clash of personalities and beliefs made this segment a must-watch.<\/p>\n

Worst Segment\/Match of the Night-\u00a0Slater\/Rhyno vs. The Ascension<\/h3>\n

The match was a little too short and unfortunately contained a noticeable botch. It was nice to see The Ascension get some air time, but they faltered big time. Fans know what they can do, from their time spent in\u00a0NXT<\/strong>, but their stock has dropped far too low to be saved at this point. Slater and Rhyno pick up their first win as champions, but the value of it is very little.<\/p>\n

Show Quality- 6\/10 Woo\u2019s<\/h3>\n

A solid show for the Smackdown after Backlash. We got to see some matches announced for No Mercy and new faces rising to the occasion. The show hit some rough patches in the second hour, but never enough to lose momentum. Smackdown’s ability to keep the audience invested has remained consistent since they went live. Knowing a few matches are already booked, Smackdown now has plenty of time to build up those rivalries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo:WWE.com It’s time to break down yet another episode of your delight every Tuesday night,\u00a0Smackdown Live. This week, the show was live from\u00a0Philadelphia, Pennsylvania\u00a0and we saw a tag team main event filled with stars and champions. Also, a new number one contender was crowned for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Here\u2019s Shawn Wilken\u2018s Smackdown Live\u00a0review. Smackdown […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1425,"featured_media":295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,4,3],"tags":[145,168,163,56,147,167,165,166,52,148,55,47],"class_list":["post-293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-smackdown","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aj-styles","tag-alexa-bliss","tag-becky-lynch","tag-daniel-bryan","tag-dean-ambrose","tag-dolph-ziggler","tag-john-cena","tag-shane-mcmahon","tag-smackdown","tag-smackdown-live","tag-the-miz","tag-wwe"],"modified_by":"Rich Iaconi","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1425"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}