After another successful PPV in No Mercy this past Sunday on October 9th, Smackdown Live was focused primarily on the aftermath of the event, in addition to some hints at possible matches for the brand at the upcoming brand-shared PPV Survivor Series.
After their incredible match of the year contender at No Mercy, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler once again clashed in a war of words which then led to a handicap match for Dolph. AJ Styles had a special opponent in mind for him to face, but Dean Ambrose being booked as special guest referee hindered his plans.
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These segments and more were the main features throughout the show, as the long build (6 weeks) to Survivor Series begins. So, how well did Smackdown Live handle the aftermath of No Mercy this week? Let’s find out as I Analyse and Grade Each Segment from The October 11th edition of Smackdown Live.
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Dolph Ziggler Opens the Show, Dolph Ziggler vs Spirit Squad:
Grade: 8.5/10
After their spectacular match last night, it was a smart decision to capitalise on the hype by having the feud take centre stage to open the show. Ziggler’s promo was less intense than usual, but that was made up for by the gratitude he showed to the fans for their support in his win.
Despite losing his IC Title, Miz was still excellent here, as his heel work is always top notch, and the emotion he has been exuberating in every promo as of late is brilliant. A rematch looks to be in the works for these two, and I don’t see the fans complaining after the incredible quality of the last bouts.
Overall, a splendid opening promo segment that set the stage for the handicap match that would follow it as well as alluding to another anticipated rematch between Miz and Ziggler.
Grade: 7/10
This was a decent, yet short match that was only in place to allow Miz to pounce with a post-match assault. Kenny and Mikey looked good despite not being regulars in the ring for a long time, but the obvious focus of this bout was on Ziggler, who played the role of the sympathetic babyface against the odds to perfection.
Although I expected Miz and Spirit Squad to gain the upper hand this week over Ziggler, the introduction of Rhyno and Heath Slater was a welcome addition to this segment, and a possible match with Spirit Squad would be much better than anything the Ascension or Vaudevillians could produce with Beauty and the Man Beast.
Naomi vs Carmella:
Grade: 7.5/10
This was a solid bout that combined the two feuds in the women’s division together, as it appears Naomi will be a placeholder rival for Alexa Bliss until Becky Lynch returns from injury. A backstage segment showing Carmella attacking Nikki Bella earlier on in the night emphasised that the Bella-Carmella feud is far from over.
Although the Nikki Bella interference was predictable, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t effective booking. Naomi was allowed to continue her momentum with another nice win, and Carmella and Nikki Bella’s rivalry was again centre stage as a rematch appears inevitable.
Overall, an effective segment that allowed both the feuds in the women’s division to intensify, as Naomi and Alexa Bliss are set to clash on next week’s episode of Smackdown Live per Daniel Bryan.
Jimmy Uso vs Chad Gable:
Grade: 6/10
Similar to Jason Jordan vs Jey Uso last week, this match was devoid of any real significance due to the lack of time given. Entrances were cut, and instead of allowing two talented tag team specialists to wrestle a solid singles bout, Gable and Jimmy were rushed to the finish, which on a positive note was smart.
Instead of a feud between The Usos and American Alpha feeling important, it feels like the least important on the brand due to lacklustre time and booking. This can still be rectified, however, but for now, this rivalry isn’t important on Smackdown Live.
AJ Styles Promo, James Ellsworth vs AJ Styles:
Segment Grade: 9/10
This may just be because of my love for AJ Styles, but Styles’ heel promos as of late have been nothing short of brilliant. Coming across as the incredibly arrogant, over the top jerk, Styles is incredible when allowed to bask in the glory of his victories.
A wonderful promo to back up yet another pinfall win over John Cena, Styles was excellent here and once again proved those who said that he is weak on the mic wrong.
Match Grade: 6.5/10
As much as I adore James Ellsworth, this was a rare dumb booking decision in the Smackdown Live main event scene. Rather than building towards an Ambrose-Styles rematch with a strong bout between Styles and a worthy babyface on the roster.
James Ellsworth was placed in a bout with the WWE World Champion, with Ambrose as special guest referee. The shenanigans between Styles and Ambrose were entertaining, sure, but instead of catapulting an up and coming babyface like Apollo Crews, by giving him a pinfall victory over Styles (albeit a fast count).
WWE instead had Ellsworth beat Styles, which didn’t help anyone. This was still very entertaining, but a stronger beginning to a Styles-Ambrose rematch would have been appreciated, as this didn’t feel like a good start to a WWE World Title program.
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It should be noted that Styles held back on the impact by cutting short the elevation and landing on his hands. He can be seen checking on Ellsworth right after the move. Ellsworth, meanwhile, was busy selling the move like a boss.
Randy Orton and Kane vs Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper:
Grade: 8/10
Once again occupying the main event spot on the card, the Orton-Wyatt rivalry will continue to pick up steam if placed in a prominent position like this.
Despite the thought of weakness that comes to mind when hearing of this match as a main event, this was still a solid tag match to close the show that kept the Orton-Wyatt rivalry centre stage, in addition to allowing Kane and Harper to shine in the main event for once.
Harper was very impressive in his first televised match after returning from injury, brawling with Kane and hitting athletic moves like dropkicks. Kane played the role of the beaten down babyface well, as Orton made the hot tag to a huge ovation. He did look a little too dominant over Wyatt, but I’ll ignore it due to the nature of the hot tag.
Although the finish was a little baffling, especially the disappearance of Kane, it was great to see Wyatt pick up another pinfall victory over Orton, even if it was tag team action. Overall, not a bad way to close the show, despite the silly finish, as Orton and Wyatt’s feud looks set to be prominent in future weeks.
Overall Grade for Smackdown Live October 11th: 8/10
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