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WWE Smackdown & 205 Live Reaction (12/13)

Robert Lentini
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WWE Smackdown & 205 Live Reaction (12/13)

WWE Smackdown (12/13)

This week’s Smackdown opened up with Daniel Bryan, Shane McMahon and James Ellsworth backstage. Ellsworth’s title match was postponed due to Ellsworth being sick. Ellsworth was sneezing relentlessly and Shane sent him home. Shane also revealed that Smackdown had to find a new #1 contender for the WWE World Championship.

Miz TV w/ AJ Styles

The Miz and AJ Styles posed with their titles as the crowd chanted “AJ Styles!”. Styles stated that sooner or later he will destroy James Ellsworth. The Miz and Styles then poked fun at Ellsworth for a bit and then The Miz complimented Styles’ haircut. Styles referred to The Miz as hilarious and said that Miz doesn’t get enough credit for how funny he is. AJ Styles claimed that nobody on Smackdown was on his level. The Miz disagreed and stated that he was above it. The Miz then challenged Styles and the two were about to trade punches but Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler came down to the ring.

Ziggler and The Miz traded punches and then Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale. Dean Ambrose then laid out Miz with the Dirty Deeds. AJ Styles then circled the ring as Ambrose shouted at him. Ambrose then connected with the Dirty Deeds on Ziggler. The lights went out and Luke Harper appeared in the ring. Harper laid out Ambrose with a Clothesline and then stared Styles down.

Reaction: Awesome way to kick off the show. I wasn’t expecting Luke Harper to show up during this segment but I’m glad he did. I’ve always thought Harper was one of the more underrated Superstars on the roster and it was cool to see him show up in a situation like this one.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon informed Styles that there will be a Fatal 4-Way match later on in the night to determine the #1 contender for the WWE World Championship. It will be Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz vs Luke Harper. The winner of that match will face Styles for the title on the December 27th episode of Smackdown.

Natalya vs Carmella

Nikki Bella joined commentary for this match. Before the match began, Natalya grabbed a microphone and once again claimed that it was not her that attacked Nikki at Survivor Series. Carmella got the upper hand early in the match and Smackdown went to a commercial break. When Smackdown returned, Natalya was in control and was accusing Carmella of being a liar while beating her down. Carmella fought back and connected with a Hurricanrana and a Clothesline.

Carmella stomped Natalya in the corner and then moonwalked around the ring. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but Carmella blocked it. Carmella then rolled out of the ring and Natalya connected with a Dropkick. Natalya and Nikki had a stare down outside the ring. Natalya continued to claim that it wasn’t her that attacked Nikki as she got back in the ring. Carmella then rolled Natalya up for the victory. After the match, Natalya continued to claim that she didn’t attack Nikki at Survivor Series. Nikki didn’t acknowledge Natalya and walked backstage.

Winner: Carmella

It was announced that John Cena will be returning to Smackdown in two weeks.

Gabriel Iglesias was talking to Apollo Crews backstage. The Miz and Maryse interrupted and Maryse told Iglesias to shut up. Gabriel Iglesias stated that The Miz’s outfit looked like it came from another planet and suggested that it came from Uranus. The Miz and Maryse then fake laughed. Miz then called referred to Apollo Crews as “Creed” and claimed that he had to go get ready for the Fatal 4-Way match.

Battle Royal To Determine #1 Contenders For Smackdown Tag Team Championships

Simon Gotch was eliminated immediately. Viktor and Chad Gable were the next two eliminated. Heath Slater accidentally eliminated Rhyno and Smackdown went to a commercial break.Fandango eliminated Mojo Rawley. Jason Jordan eliminated Aiden English. Heath Slater eliminated Fandango. Jason Jordan went crazy and hit everyone with a Spear. Jason Jordan was then eliminated by Konnor and Tyler Breeze. Konnor eliminated Heath Slater. Zack Ryder eliminated Konnor and Tyler Breeze for the victory.

Winners & #1 Contenders For The Smackdown Tag Team Championships: Hype Bros

Reaction: This was an entertaining Battle Royal. The Hype Bros is an interesting choice. I thought it was finally time for The Ascension to win a noteworthy match and challenge for the Tag Team Championships but that is not the case. It is extremely unlikely that the Hype Bros will defeat the Wyatt Family. The teams are the polar opposite of each other so that could lead to some entertaining segments leading up to their title match.

Alexa Bliss vs Deonna Purrazzo

Alexa Bliss mocked Purrazzo before the match and referred to her as “Jane Ellsworth”. The match never started because Bliss attacked Purrazzo. Becky Lynch then came down to the ring and challenged Bliss to a match for her Women’s Championship. Alexa Bliss agreed to the match but stated that it wouldn’t happen tonight. Alexa Bliss started to walk away but Shane McMahon came out and met her halfway up the entrance ramp. Shane McMahon stated that the Smackdown Women’s Championship match will happen right now and Alexa Bliss went crazy.

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch went for the Dis-Arm-Her right away but Bliss was able to avoid it. Lynch continued to maintain control of the match for the next few minutes. Bliss tried to battle back but Lynch connected with several Clotheslines to stop her momentum. Becky was able to lock in the Dis-Arm-Her but Alexa was too close to the ropes and the hold was broken.

The action spilled outside the ring and Becky hit a forearm on Alexa after jumping off of the steel steps. Becky chased Alexa around and Bliss slid out of the ring and pretended to injure her knee. Referee Charles Robinson counted out Bliss and Becky won the match. After the match, Becky tried to attack Alexa but Bliss fought back. Once again, Becky got the upper hand and Alexa retreated backstage. Since the match ended in a countout, Alexa Bliss remains the Smackdown Women’s Champion.

Winner via Countout: Becky Lynch

Reaction: The title match itself was short but it served a purpose. Becky Lynch will obviously get another oppurtunity at the Smackdown Women’s Championship sometime soon. Alexa Bliss continues to be terrific on the microphone and is a great heel in the ring as well. Bliss will most likely spend most of her title reign trying to keep the title at all costs. Faking an injury during a match she is losing is a good way to get the crowd annoyed with Bliss even more than they already are. Bliss did defeat Lynch clean in their Tables match at TLC. It will be interesting to see if Bliss picks up another clean victory in their rematch in the future or if Bliss will cheat to retain her title. My only hope for that match is that Becky Lynch does not recapture the title.

I do not want this to turn into the hot potato situation that is happening with the Raw Women’s Championship between Sasha Banks and Charlotte. The feud between Sasha and Charlotte has had several excellent matches but the constant changing hands of the title has made it impossible to really get invested in the feud. Hopefully, Becky Lynch has to jump through a bunch of hoops to recapture the Smackdown Women’s Championship. If that happens, it will make the moment much better when she finally wins it back. The issue I have with the Women’s division on both Raw and Smackdown is that there is only two Superstars fighting for the belts on both shows. I would much rather see a bunch of Superstars battling for an oppurtunity at the title rather than the same match over and over again.

Fatal 4-Way To Determine The #1 Contender To The WWE World Championship: Dean Ambrose vs The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper

It was revealed earlier in the night that if anyone interferes it will result in an elimination. Thus, if Maryse or the Wyatts interfere it would cause either The Miz or Luke Harper to be eliminated from the match. AJ Styles joined commentary for the match.

The match started out with Luke Harper taking out Dean Ambrose and Ziggler while The Miz looked on with a horrified look on his face. The Miz then gave Harper a round of applause and tried to form an alliance with Harper. The Miz tried to shake Harper’s hand but got a right hand to the face instead. Ambrose and Ziggler teamed up for a brief moment to knock Harper out of the ring. Ambrose then charged at Miz but Miz ducked and Ambrose went tumbling out of the ring.

The Miz then mocked Daniel Bryan in the ring by doing the “yes!” chant and Daniel Bryan’s kicks in the ring on Ziggler. The Miz followed it up with two corner Dropkicks on Ziggler. The Miz went for a third but Ambrose got back in the ring and hit a Running Bulldog on The Miz. Harper cleaned out Ambrose with a gigantic boot to the face outside the ring. Back in ring, Harper continued to be dominant and beatdown Ziggler in the corner.

Harper took a break from beating the hell out of Ziggler to get out of the ring and launch Ambrose into the barricade. Dean Ambrose got back into the ring and tried to hit the Dirty Deeds on Harper but Ziggler greeted Ambrose with a Superkick. Harper then laid out Ziggler and Ambrose connected with a Lunatic Lariat on Harper. All three men were down and The Miz unsuccessfully tried to pin Harper and Ziggler. The Miz then tried to pin Ambrose but Dean rolled him up and The Miz was first Superstar eliminated.

When Smackdown returned from a commercial break, Luke Harper was outside the ring and Ambrose and Ziggler were battling in the ring. Ambrose connected with a Backbreaker on Ziggler and went for the pinfall but Ziggler kicked out at two. Ambrose followed it up with a Suplex and another unsuccessful pinfall. Ambrose climbed to the top turnbuckle but Ziggler joined him there. Harper got back into the ring and dragged Ziggler off of the turnbuckle. Ziggler then hit a Zig Zag on Harper and Ambrose launched off of the top rope and connected with a Clothesline.

Ambrose and Ziggler slammed into each other and both Superstars fell to the mat. Harper got back up and hit a Sidewalk Slam on Ambrose. Harper then connected with a Powerbomb on Ziggler. Dolph hit Harper with a Superkick and Ambrose followed it up with a Dirty Deeds to Harper. Ambrose then pinned Harper and Luke Harper was the second Superstar eliminated.

It was down to Ziggler and Ambrose in the ring. Ziggler connected with a couple of Clotheslines and followed it up with a Stinger Splash in the corner. Ambrose rolled onto the ring apron and Ziggler joined him there. Ambrose catapulted Ziggler face first into the LED ring post. Back in the ring, Ambrose climbed to the top turnbuckle but Ziggler got up and slammed Ambrose to the mat. Both men then got up and hit simultaneous Clotheslines on each other.

The Miz then showed up again outside the ring. Ziggler chased him around the ring and Ambrose connected with a Suicide Dive on The Miz. Ziggler then hit a Superkick on The Miz. Ambrose tried to get back into the ring but The Miz held him back. Ambrose threw Miz into the barricade and Ambrose went to get back into the ring. As Ambrose got into the ring, Ziggler hit a Superkick and eliminated Ambrose via a pinfall.

Winner & #1 Contender For The WWE World Championship: Dolph Ziggler

Reaction: The Fatal 4-Way was very good. Dolph Ziggler is an interesting choice. The ending was really bizarre because it appeared that The Miz was trying to prevent Ambrose from winning. This may wind up leading to Ambrose challenging The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler will no doubt have a terrific match for the WWE World Championship. It would be a massive upset if Ziggler defeated Styles for the title.

205 Live (12/13)

Drew Gulak vs Jack Gallagher

This match started out back and forth. Jack Gallagher tied Gulak in a knot in the middle of the ring. Gallagher admired his work and then kicked Gulak and the knot was broken. Gulak got up an connected with a kick to the face on Gallagher. Gulak continued the assault by whipping Gallagher down to the mat and his head hit the bottom rope. Gulak followed it up with a Neckbreaker. Gallagher battled back and connected with a headbutt on Gulak. Gallagher then hit a Dropkick in the corner on Gulak for the victory.

Winner: Jack Gallagher

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/808871642336088065

TJ Perkins and Rich Swann had a conversation backstage. Perkins stated that he was friends with Swann but he is determined to defeat him tonight. Perkins also claimed that he will recapture the Cruiserweight Championship at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line.

Jack Gallagher and Ariya Daivari had a confrontation backstage. Gallagher apologized to Daivari for attacking him on Monday Night Raw. Gallagher then stated that he was retaliating for the attack on his knee that he was subjected to at the hands of Daivari. Being the extraordinary gentleman that he is, Gallagher offered a truce but Daivari rejected it. Daivari claimed that he was going to get even with Gallagher and walked away.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/808873807163183104

Mustafa Ali vs Lince Dorado

The match started out back and forth. Dorado went to jump onto Ali in the corner but Ali moved out of the way and kicked Dorado in the face. Ali continued to control the match and applied a Chinlock in the middle of the ring. Dorado battled back and landed a Dropkick to the back of the head of Ali and Mustafa went tumbling into the corner. Both Superstars then climbed to the top rope and Dorado hit a Frankensteiner that sent Dorado flying to the mat. Ali sent Dorado into the ropes but Dorado bounced off of them and hit a Stunner on Ali. Dorado then hit a massive Moonsault on Mustafa Ali outside the ring. Dorado’s head bounced off of the entrance ramp and both Superstars were counted out.

After the match, Lince Dorado tried to shake the hand of Mustafa Ali. Mustafa rejected the gesture and punched Dorado in the face. Dorado battled back and kicked Ali in the face. The segment ended with Ali retreating to the back and Dorado standing tall in the ring.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/808875201819643904

Noam Dar bumped into Alicia Fox backstage. Alicia stated that she was flattered that Dar dedicated a match to her but she informed Dar that she had a boyfriend (Cedric Alexander). Dar then smiled and said that he will see Alicia Fox around. Dar then walked away and Alicia Fox had a confused look on her face.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/808876128446201856

TJ Perkins vs Rich Swann

Brian Kendrick joined commentary for the match. The match started out back and forth. Both Perkins and Swann went for a Dropkick at the same time and neither connected. Swann then landed a Dropkick and went for a pinfall but Perkins kicked out at two. Swann then landed a Russian Leg Sweep and followed it up with a Splash onto Perkins. TJ fell to the outside of the ring and Swann went for a Moonsault but Perkins got out of the way. Swann landed on his feet and appeared to tweak his knee. Swann continued to sell the knee injury and Perkins took control of the match.

Perkins connected with a couple of Suplexes in the ring and went for the pin but Swann powered out at two. Perkins and Swann then traded punches but TJ hit a Dropkick to Swann’s injured knee. Swann responded by connecting with a kick to the head of TJ Perkins. Swann and Perkins got back to their feet and traded chops in the ring. Swann landed a Tiger Bomb on Perkins and went for the pin but TJ kicked out. Swann went for the standing 450 Splash but Swann’s knee prevented him from doing so. Perkins then applied the Knee Bar on Swann for the submission victory.

After the match, Brian Kendrick walked down to the ring and applauded both Perkins and Swann. Kendrick extended his hand to Swann but Swann slapped it away. Perkins then landed a Superkick on Kendrick and Brian fell out of the ring. Perkins and Swann then had a stare down to end the show.

Winner: TJ Perkins

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/808879823951044609

Reaction: The wrestling on 205 Live is excellent. The problem with the show has been that the crowd has been absolutely dead. This week’s show was taped before Monday Night Raw and that made a huge difference. The crowd was actually making noise and their may have been some crowd noise pumped in during the backstage segments. I’m not sure if it is possible, but I think 205 Live is better off being a pre-taped show, whether that be before Raw or Smackdown. The crowd is more energetic and people are more willing to give the show a chance. It is difficult for a crowd to get into 205 Live when they just watched a show that featured some of the biggest stars the WWE has to offer. Rich Swann will be defending his Cruiserweight Championship in a Triple Threat Match against TJ Perkins and Brian Kendrick. I’m looking forward to that match and have enjoyed the storyline leading up to it. I legitimately have no clue who is going to win that match and that is a good thing. Kendrick is clearly the most recognizable of the three but Swann is very charismatic. Perkins is also an excellent performer in the ring. I’m looking forward to see how things play out at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line this Sunday.

What did you think of this week’s episodes of Smackdown and 205 Live? Let us know in the comments below.

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