With Survivor Series five days away, this Sunday on November 20th, Smackdown Live was focused on brand unity heading into the PPV, while simultaneously making the 900th edition of Smackdown historically significant.
The Miz and Dolph Ziggler opened the show in another splendid Intercontinental Championship match. The women of Smackdown Live brawled with an invading Raw team after a solid Nikki Bella vs. Carmella bout.
Fans got a preview of the anarchy that will ensue in the tag team Survivor Series bout with a fun, chaotic sixteen-man tag team matchup. And the much-anticipated returns of the Undertaker and Edge closed the show.
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Overall, the 900th edition of Smackdown was splendid. But, which segments delivered, and which ones flopped? Let’s find out, as I analyse and grade each segment from the 900th episode of WWE Smackdown (Live).
Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship):
Grade: 8/10
This was the perfect way to open the show, as it had the crowd hot from the get-go. Miz and Ziggler never fail to deliver, and this was another stellar match between the two men. Their chemistry is incredible, and the Miz’s heel antics play perfectly off Ziggler’s babyface fire.
The incredibly fast-paced nature of the action was splendid as well and helped the crowd stay enticed. Unfortunately, the quality of the matchup was downplayed by the finish, which saw Miz regain his Intercontinental Championship with an assist from Maryse.
After a spectacular win by Ziggler at No Mercy, he loses the title in his first proper defence? A weak booking decision from the Smackdown Live team and it felt painfully obvious that WWE only booked this for historical significance on the 900th episode.
Still, despite the misstep in the finish, this was another top-notch matchup between Ziggler and Miz, who got the crowd excited from the start of the show.
Oney Lorcan vs. Kalisto:
Grade: 5/10
This was way too quick for anything significant to happen, as Kalisto only hit one move to win the match. The botch from the Luchador was noticed by fans also, and if the goal here was to give Kalisto some momentum heading into Sunday, it barely worked.
Raw did a much better job of putting Zayn over on Raw for his Survivor Series bout, and Kalisto gained virtually nothing from what was booked to be a cheap and quick victory. Instead of using Lorcan, a Raw Cruiserweight (Drew Gulak?) should’ve faced Kalisto, as it could’ve also given a taste of the Cruiserweight division to Smackdown Live fans.
Even against Lorcan, the matchup should’ve been longer, and this achieved very little on an otherwise great show. Overall, a forgettable bout that didn’t benefit Kalisto as much as was hoped, but at least he has some momentum heading into Survivor Series.
Nikki Bella vs. Carmella:
Grade: 8/10
The match between these two rivals was solid, and Carmella looked great as the vicious heel targeted Bella’s surgically repaired neck. Expect these two to renew their feud once Survivor Series is done.
Charlotte interrupting proceedings by targeting her former foe, Bella, was a nice touch, and the ‘invasion’ from Raw’s women was a strong way of injecting some anticipation into the women’s Survivor Series match. One poor decision, however, was the use of Bayley and Banks.
Saving their enemy Charlotte, they beat down an innocent babyface in Bella, which felt completely out of character for both women. Hopefully, logic gaps such as those will be avoided once the brand warfare is over.
The Smackdown Live women’s team saving their teammates was a smart move, and the brawl that followed was action-packed and had the crowd going wild. Nia Jax going through the barricade was a strong spot, as was Naomi’s springboard crossbody.
Overall, a stellar brawl between the women’s teams, as their Survivor Series match finally feels like a bout to be hyped for.
16-Man tag team match:
Grade: 7/10
Rather than resorting to the same old booking of tension between teammates, the tag teams of SmackDown Live worked well together, defeating the non-Survivor Series teams decisively without any inter-team clashes.
Even though this was very crowded, it was extremely fast-paced and fun in the final stages, and it showcased what we can expect from the best tag teams on both rosters on Sunday. Suicide dives, rapid finishers and big brawls, this was a strong preview for Sunday’s bout, which lacked anticipation due to a weak build.
Although it made little sense that the Usos and American Alpha would be strong teammates, it was at least a change of pace from the same old, clashing teammate’s story. Overall, a fun, action-packed, chaotic 16-man tag match that gave fans a solid preview of what to expect on Sunday.
Note: The return of King Booker in a backstage segment before this match was awesome, and it was great to see WWE acknowledge one of Smackdown’s most forgotten highlights from the late 2000’s.
The Cutting Edge, with The Undertaker’s return:
Grade: 8.5/10
This was a wonderful way to close the show, as the two most anticipated segments for the show occurred almost simultaneously.
Edge received a strong ovation from the crowd, and his verbal sparring with Styles and Wyatt was a sight to see. The Rated R Superstar’s confrontation of Orton and his new attitude was a nice touch, with Wyatt stating that the “Randy you once knew is dead”.
Edge congratulating Ellsworth instead of Styles was a fun touch, and Ambrose and Styles almost coming to blows about their TLC bout on December 4th, was a great method of keeping the rivalry partially at the forefront.
Although he did not answer the questions fans thought he would (retirement, one last opponent, etc.), The Undertaker’s return was nonetheless a wonderful moment. Intrigue on his future is at an all-time high, and with Taker stating that “Wrestlemania doesn’t define me” and “I’m back, taking souls and digging holes”; fans are now incredibly excited for what lies ahead for the Deadman.
Will he return as a full-time member of the Smackdown Live roster up until Wrestlemania? Will he have one last shot at the WWE World Championship?
These questions will be answered in the coming weeks, and Undertaker did a great job of teasing what the future holds, but not stating anything outright. Threatening to punish the SmackDown Live team, if they are unable to win on Sunday, will add some much-needed repercussions for Sunday’s bout other than brand supremacy.
Furthermore, Undertaker taking over as leader of the Smackdown roster once again (if only for one night) was splendid. Overall, a strong Cutting Edge and a stellar return for the Deadman, whose future is incredibly intriguing.
Overall Grade for 900th Smackdown Live: 8/10
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