Review: WWE Smackdown (11-15-2024)
Smackdown was live from Milwaukee!
Michael Cole references local sport!
Arriving: Nia Jax and Naomi in a split screen! Motor City Machine Guns and Street Profits with B-Fab in a split screen!
Cody Rhodes is actually going to do something: Seems like Codles has been hilariously backseated by Roman Reigns’ return. By “feels like he has been” I mean “he absolutely has been big dogged so hard by Hogan Reigns’ return.” In trying to catch up with Reigns, Cody starts by twitching his lip and chewing imaginary food, just like Mr. Roman himself! He wants Kevin Owens. He gets Nick Aldis. Well that’s not what he wanted at all. Randy Orton has “severe cervical trauma” from one iffy piledriver. Maybe he shouldn’t be such a wimp? Maybe he’s too old to be out here anymore? Kevin crossed the line! So he’s not here, Aldis won’t allow it. Cody says this just makes a martyr of Owens. But Aldis is firm on resolving the situation internally. Cody reacts like a wrestling fan with a brain to the idea of WWE actually effectively and truly handling something internally. Cody wants Nick to “be real,” as he knows what’s under Nick’s corporate suit. Yeah! A real sexy bod! Cody is so good at doing promos that manipulate others in a way that means be for good and justice. “As much as I loathe the nickname ‘Code-Man…’” Cody fires the hell up as he speaks on why he needs — NEEDS — to get his hands on Kevin Owens and deal with the situation himself. Terrific stuff from Cody, and he leaves the question open and gives Aldis something to think on.
Backstage: Jimmy Uso is on the phone because he’s important. He meets up with Jey and Sami. He was on the phone with Roman, who is on the way and wants a meeting ahead of War Games. Jey notes that they need a fifth member still. Sami has someone else he can ask.
B-Fab vs Candice LeRae vs Bayley
WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament
You’d think I’d be indifferent to how awful Bayley’s theme is, but I’m just not. It’s not going to happen. It’s that bad and ill-fitting for a babyface. I have no idea what LeRae is doing with hands on her entrance. The wings are also dumb. Ma’am you are 39 and a 22-year pro, you can’t still be trying to figure out a personality.
Let’s see what B-Fab can do in this match, because last I knew she was still quite bad, through no fault of her own, really. Or little fault of her own. She has basically no experience still. Still kinda moves like she just started training a month ago. Strikes come without commitment; when LeRae throws a single little forearm over the back you see the difference. I’m not trying to B-Mean to B-Fab here, mind you, she seems like a nice person who I’m sure is doing the best she can with what has been a poorly-handled path by WWE.
They have some solid spots worked out and Fab is where she’s supposed to be in them, basically. LeRae does pretty much all the one-on-one with her and Candice is a pro so Fab has good help in here. She gets a couple nice near falls and commentary is doing a good job making it clear that B-Fab is absolutely a major underdog, which helps put over her success within the match while not being ridiculous about it, they don’t have to over-sell it. Bayley gets a high-stacked rollup on B-Fab for the win to advance. They did a good job accentuating B-Fab’s positives.
Backstage: Sami Zayn is talking to Louisiana Knight. THAT’S his idea? The guy who is famously, totally self-centered? Sami Zayn is a fucking idiot, dudes. I’m sorry. Knight does not seem interested and leaves because he has an open challenge for his belt.
Dwayne Therock was on Jimmy Fallon’s bad program to plug his movie that predictably flopped despite him being GQ Entertainer of the Year, for all the great Entertaining he did in 2024.
Backstage: A disappointed B-Fab encourages Street Profits, who then walk off so that Chelsea Green and Piper Niven can take over the scene and make fun of “B-Flop” for her loss. Michin then arrives with her kendo stick and Chelsea and Piper leave. B-Fab tries like three times to reference Chelsea still stinking from the trash can weeks ago and it never really works.
In the Ring: LA Knight is here for his open challenge defense but will talk to me first. I will let him. I have no real choice. He officially turns down teaming with Roman Reigns’ Bloodline. Takes an extra shot at Logan Paul. And we have the open challenge answered by Legado Del Fantasma. “Which member intends on accepting the open challenge?” Corey asks. Escobar — and I approve of this — is REALLY into saying “Milwaukeeans.” It seems to just tickle him. Knight cuts off Escobar by saying he’s already had his chance(s), so he turns his attention to Berto, who will get the shot. Cole also rolls with “Milwaukeeans.” We’re all having actual fun here. Milwaukeeans!
Berto vs LA Knight (c)
WWE United States Championship
“Berto.” The match gets joined in progress, basically, after a break when Berto attacks Knight before the bell rings. “Berto has been extremely impressive thus far,” Graves assures me.
Cole says he “did some research” during the break and discovered that this is Berto’s first opportunity at a singles championship on either Raw or Smackdown. I did my own research and discovered that Michael Cole has been hung out to dry with this statement. Berto has, in fact, had several shots at the U.S. title in the past. I won’t even count “live events,” just televised matches. He lost to AJ Styles at Crown Jewel 2019, lost to Andrade on the Royal Rumble 2020 “kickoff,” beat Andrade by DQ on Raw the next night, lost to Andrade at Elimination Chamber 2020, and lost to Sheamus in 17 seconds on Raw in July 2021.
TAPE GOTCHA, DON’T IT HURTCHA!
Solid match. Berto gets a really strong showing, this works for Knight whose offense is fine but limited and he’s a babyface champ, so either he has to squash Berto here — which isn’t really WWE style — or let Berto really shine a bit. BFT hits and Knight retains. Went no longer than necessary, made Berto just enough of a threat but Knight the clear champ. ***
Post-match: Dressed in all black, it’s Shinsuke Nakamura! He puts Knight on his ass. He is “The Wayward Samurai.” The crowd doesn’t react much. Nakamura looks straight out of 1995 WWF in this reimagining of his character.
Backstage: Sami Zayn admits to Jimmy and Jey that it’s “not looking good” as far as him being able to find them a fifth member. I mean, he’s already tried a guy who remembers he hates Roman Reigns’ guts and a dude who is basically Bad News Brown in terms of wanting to team with anyone, he’s all out of ideas! The flunkies feebly enter Roman’s room for their meeting, clearly having all been re-reduced to dopey sidekicks despite Jey’s prior protests toward the notion. Jey says Roman has “gotta make that call,” but then Solo’s music hits in the arena and Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline are headed to the ring. Roman stands up out of his chair and walks, and the other three follow like the puppies they are.
In the Ring: Time for story time with Solo Sikoa. But then Roman’s music hits and here comes the other Bloodline. Solo’s group are in the ring and ready to fight, and we’ve got the standoff. Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu are particularly psyched. Tanga Loa is also here. They’re all fighting! Jacob Fatu is beating ass. Roman saves Sami from a Solo spike with a spear. They acknowledge each other (!) and Sami dives to the floor. Roman is left in the ring with Jacob, and we’re definitely selling this as the important thing. “Come on with it!” Jacob shouts. Fuck yeah! But before we can get that, Bronson Reed jumps Roman from behind. Solo’s group have found their guy. Reed and Jacob stare at each other and then double up on Roman. The Usos and Sami jump on them, but Numbers Game. Well, I guess that might be a way to change Seth Rollins’ mind if they don’t have a better idea? Fatu moonsaults Sami, Big Bronson tsunamis Jimmy. Jacob Fatu is a feral animal out here. Roman’s trying to fight but he can only manage so much, basically delaying the inevitable until he gets spiked. Solo ordering the enforcers to “finish” Roman, so Fatu hits the moonsault and Reed the tsunami on the leader. They’ve REALLY gotten the tsunami over and Reigns sells the hell out of it. “The OGs are out-gunned in a bad, bad way,” Graves says, and they’ve really captured that feeling. Bronson Reed is a killer mercenary add. Since the Romanline can’t leave a segment without background acting, Jey repeatedly tells Roman to “make the call.”
You know I’m not exactly naturally inclined to praise Cole and Graves, but they’re excellent getting across how dire this is for Reigns’ group.
Video: Kevin Owens posted a car video about how he did his job to Randy Orton last week and for that he was denied entry into the arena tonight. Once again, Kevin has a fair point. But he got a call from Nick Aldis asking him to come to Smackdown next week. “Oh my God! Cody wants me there! Can’t disappoint Cody Rhodes!” He says he will be there for himself and for no other reason. “I happen to love Utah. The mountains, the fresh air, all that stuff. It’s good for me.” But he warns everyone that he will do his job next week. Cole’s right that Owens has “gone off the deep end,” but the map that sent him off of it was drawn up by people who won’t accept responsibility for it, too. It’s a terrific angle.
Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs Street Profits
WWE Tag Team Championship
One of the things that makes MCMG so great is their total lack of ego in their work, insisting that they will be so good that they can always give opponents a ton, make them look good, too, and just get over because of who they are. It worked at the TNA level, we’ll see how it really goes at the WWE level.
But just pure quality-wise, they still have it, yes, and with a lot of room to spare. These teams don’t really get to have their match, though they get to exhibit their potential for a really good match, before Tommaso Ciampa runs in and causes the DQ. When Alex Shelley wants to break that up, Ciampa shoves Gargano on his keister, and Gargano reacts like he’s never seen this ill-tempered side of Tom before. Which is fair enough because nobody was watching NXT then, as we’ve learned many times over with various leaps from NXT to the main roster. What was here was good! ***
Post-match: MCMG try to be chill with the Street Profits, but Dawkins slaps Shelley in his shit. Ford and Dawkins both just sort of stalk. These guys have been “contenders” forever and have come up short by hook or crook time and again, and their frustrations have gotten to them. There’s no more to this for now, but Street Profits as heels now could be great.
Michael Cole says “Milwaukeeans” again, with a quiet point to how he says it. I don’t know how to put this into words, but this is tickling me. I love getting one thing stuck in your head and turning it into a bit that isn’t even really a bit.
Backstage: Bayley puts on her “talking to Naomi” voice. Now here are Bianca and Jade. Can one fucking person in this company just let other people have a conversation? Bianca in particular still hates Bayley, who has to quietly back off and stop talking. Jade also hates Bayley but just because her friend does and it’s fun to be a hater.
Oh wow it’s time to send Blair Davenport out on TV again next week to see if she can possibly get remotely over. (Actually I think she’s just filling space in the ring with Bianca and Chelsea for another three-way.)
Nia Jax vs Naomi
WWE Women’s Championship
Bianca and Jade are with Naomi for no real reason, and they don’t actually accompany her to the ring, and Tiffany Stratton also leaves Nia’s side on the entrance walkway.
A minute or so into the match, we see Bianca and Jade watching TV, and then Tiffany watching a different TV. Graves says that if you’ve “been away from WWE for such a duration” as Naomi was “you only come back to be great, you don’t come back to be an also-ran.” There are many cases of people happily coming back to be an also-ran after being away for such a duration, and plenty who would again. Heath Slater or Jinder Mahal would take a Speed-exclusive gig if it was offered, get serious.
Despite the recent win over Nia, Naomi has a tough style matchup with Jax, because what Naomi is actually best at — striking and brawling — aren’t so effective against someone as big and strong, and the things she has over Nia — speed and flashier offense — are not what she’s actually good at, against her own wishes.
Sick pop-up headbutt from Nia and Graves has a legitimate freakout reaction, same as I do. It ruled. Nia rules. But that leads to Nia getting too confident in herself, and then she’s knocked to the floor where Naomi possibly unlocks her key to beating Nia tonight: a dive followed up immediately by right hands on the downed champ. The ol’ mix-n-match.
After break Naomi hits a cool sunset flip bomb counter. HEY! This match rocks! Nia Jax with another 2024 masterclass and she and Naomi have real chemistry at this point. Samoan drop from Nia and Naomi is pretty much out of it at this point. Nia drags her near the corner for the finish, but Naomi was playing some possum there and flies off the top to the floor with a crossbody.
We go backstage where Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez have attacked Bianca and Jade and left them laid out. Naomi clutches her knee at ringside then just gets up and is basically fine. Tiffany Stratton hops down there and hits Naomi in the back with the ref distracted by incompetence.
But Naomi just won’t die here — but oh no, Nia goes for a slam from the second rope, but Naomi pushes the momentum of it into a counter. Bayley down to take Stratton out of the equation. Split-legged moonsault hits for two!
Naomi up top, but Candice LeRae is in, knocks Bayley into the post which I guess shakes the whole thing so much that Naomi crotches herself. Nia with the super Samoan drop, Annihilator, and she has retained again. Fantastic TV main event. ***¾
Backstage: A battered Roman Reigns, his beautiful hair out of its bun, has his telephone. “Call…the Wise Man.” But the number is not in service. He drops the phone and almost starts crying. lmao. get this dude away from me. That’s the end of the show. So Heyman wasn’t available to answer yet, but hey, who does Paul Heyman know who might want to be in a War Games, might be available, and doesn’t have a DEEP issue with Reigns and the OG Bloodline and in fact maybe wasn’t even in the company during their reign of terror?1
GRADE: B
Good ‘sode this week. (That’s what I’m gonna call episodes now.) The Bloodline stuff was strong, with Reed having a real impact joining Solo’s crew, the main event was strong, Cody’s promo was terrific, good crowd of Milwaukeeans. Wasn’t a blowaway ‘sode but nothing to really take issue with, either.
Three Stars of the Show
Bronson Reed: Came off like a star, a genuine menace, and an absolute tide-turner merc hire in the Bloodline war.
Nia Jax: What an absolutely great year Nia has had. Being honest, we all wondered why bother hire her back when they did. It has turned out to be an outstanding second run in the company for Nia, who has really put it together, knows how to work “big,” knows exactly how much to give opponents, and how to do the combination where you’re both dominant and lucky.
Michael Cole and Corey Graves: Truly, a “give them their flowers” week for me, because I thought they were pretty great tonight. Bullshitting about the “gotcha” aside, this was Cole and Graves turning it down a notch and calling the show. Cole in particular got away from some of his worse habits. They made the Reed thing even better than it was alone, called the matches well, didn’t sound overly phony. Good night for the lads on the call.
