Much like its counterpart Raw, this week’s SmackDown Live was completely focused on Survivor Series, which airs November 20th. Dissension between the male and female Survivor Series team of SmackDown Live was centre stage, occupying the majority of the segments on the show, as rivals attempt to set aside their differences.
Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss clashed in their much-anticipated Smackdown Women’s Championship bout, while the other women of SmackDown Live looked ahead to their upcoming bout against Raw’s women. Baron Corbin was injured at the hands of Kalisto, leaving the need for a replacement in the Survivor Series male team.
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These segments and more, were the main focus of the show, with Survivor Series just around the corner. Did SmackDown Live provide Glasgow, Scotland with a strong show? Let’s find out, as I analyse and grade each Segment from the November 8th edition of Smackdown Live.
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The Male Team Opens the Show:
Grade: 7/10
Similar to Raw, this opening segment was only used to set up the main event of the show, rather than actually develop tension between the brand’s superstars. Rather than Shane McMahon talking the most, it should’ve been the male superstars calling out their Raw opponents, thereby hyping up fans for potential clashes.
Bray Wyatt could’ve mentioned Braun Strowman opposing him for the first time. AJ Styles could’ve called out Seth Rollins, a dream match in many fan’s eyes. The announcement that James Ellsworth will be a mascot at Survivor Series was a fun addition to the segment, but it was one of the only highlights.
Overall, this was a generic opening promo that did little to generate excitement for the PPV and instead focused on establishing the six-man tag match for later in the night.
Breezango vs. the Vaudevillians:
Grade: 4/10
This was a filler segment that contributed little to the show. Neither team has any momentum to speak of, and despite being victorious here, Breezango will most likely end up the first team eliminated for Smackdown Live at Survivor Series.
The crowd was dead, and rightfully so, as this was the definition of a filler segment. A short, forgettable bout that should be avoided on future editions of Smackdown Live.
Naomi vs. Natalya:
Grade: 5/10
Instead of focusing on building tension with Raw’s women, SmackDown Live emphasised on the discord between the teammates of their women’s team, which was already clear when the team was finalised.
This was a forgettable match that was over before it could gain any traction, and Natalya was pinned after a dumb finish involving her ‘coaching duties’, as she separated Nikki Bella and Carmella. Naomi gained nothing from this, and a promo segment targeting the other brand’s women would’ve made this more significant than it was.
A short match with a dumb finish, this hopefully won’t be a regular thing on Smackdown Live after Survivor Series.
Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin:
Grade: 8/10
Even though it would’ve been nice to see Corbin mix it up with Raw’s superstars, this was a stellar angle to write him out of the bout. Kalisto got his revenge by taking out Corbin after he injured him earlier in the summer.
Rather than have Kalisto overpower his much larger opponent, the booking choice to have Corbin slip on the apron and allow the Luchador to take advantage, was a smart one. These two will likely settle their differences in a match at TLC, which should be a solid encounter.
Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss (Smackdown Women’s Championship):
Grade: 8/10
This was a splendid match between Lynch and Bliss, who finally faced off, after Lynch’s unfortunate injury kept her on the sidelines. Lynch was brilliant here as the defiant babyface, while Bliss played her role well as the vicious and arrogant heel, targeting the Lass Kicker’s left arm.
The finish leaves room for a rematch down the line (most likely at TLC), and considering how stellar this feud has been so far, it is a smart decision to keep it going. While they will have to team up at Survivor Series, Bliss and Lynch’s chemistry as opponents should be further showcased in coming weeks.
This definitely should’ve been the main event of the show, and hopefully Smackdown Live will soon provide the women with the opportunities that Raw’s women have been receiving.
Apollo Crews vs. Curt Hawkins:
Grade: 5/10
Another short, forgettable bout, Hawkins and Crews could do nothing to excite the crowd as both men have no momentum. Crews has lost any sign of momentum since losing to the Miz at Summerslam and would benefit from another stint in NXT.
Hawkins’ goofy gimmick has no traction either, and after losing so quickly last week to Dolph Ziggler, a win here meant nothing for him. It was just another filler segment, unfortunately, as neither man was able to contribute to the show, with this matchup.
Kane, James Ellsworth and Dean Ambrose vs. the New Wyatt Family:
Grade: 7/10
This did little to excite fans as much as Raw’s blockbuster fatal-five way, but it still delivered a fun six-man tag. The underlying tension between Randy Orton and Luke Harper, is a nice touch to the ‘New Wyatt Family’ story, with the two men aggressively leering at each other throughout the bout.
Dean Ambrose looked great here with the hot babyface tag, but he is partially outshined by Ellsworth. Still, the story of Ellsworth unintentionally screwing over Ambrose is progressing strongly, and should hopefully lead to a heel turn for the Lunatic Fringe in the near future.
The announcement that Shane McMahon, will be the new member of the male Smackdown Live Survivor Series team was a solid way to finish the show, and it will be awesome to see him back between the ropes.
However, a younger talent like Corbin could’ve benefited more from being on the team, but WWE often prioritises veterans over current talent. Still, a solid match and solid finish to the show, with Survivor Series just around the corner.
Overall Grade for Smackdown Live: 7/10
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