By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Episode 1,107)
Live from in Orlando, Florida at Amway Center
Aired November 6, 2020 on Fox
[Hour One] Michael Cole and Corey Graves were on commentary. Cole touted ThunderDome and plugged the sponsor… Smackdown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks made her entrance. Cole said the rivalry between Banks and Bayley would come to an end tonight. A video package focused on Banks and Bayley.
Bayley was interviewed by Kayla Braxton on the Gorilla Position set. Bayley said the video package left out the part about how Banks loses whenever she tries to defend a title she has won. Bayley said the rivalry would end the way it started with Banks crippled in the ring by her own failure. Bayley made her entrance while Cole hyped that the winner would face Asuka at Survivor Series…
1. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Ring announcer Greg Hamilton delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Banks went for her finisher early in the match, but Bayley escaped to ringside heading into a commercial break. [C]
Banks performed a meteora on Bayley, who rolled to ringside. Banks followed to the apron and performed a cross body block on Bayley on the floor. [C] Banks went for a Backstabber, but Bayley countered into a Bayley to Belly attempt that Banks avoided. Banks went for the Bank Statement again, but Bayley escaped and kicked Banks into the ringside barricade.
Bayley grabbed a kendo stick and slid it into the ring. The referee took grabbed the kendo stick while Bayley pulled out her trusty chair. Bayley made a weak attempt to hit Banks with the chair, but Banks ended up with it and tossed it over the ringside barricade.
Bayley hit Banks with a Backstabber and a Bayley to Belly for a good near fall. Bayley caught Banks with a running knee and a belly to back suplex for another near fall. Bayley shook her head in frustration. Bayley put Banks in her own finisher while Cole reminded viewers that Banks was nursing a neck injury. The referee caught Bayley using the ropes for leverage. Banks rolled onto Bayley for a near fall that broke the hold.
Both women ended up on the apron. Bayley charged at Banks, who moved, causing Bayley to run headfirst into the ring post. Banks applied the Bank Statement and got the submission win…
Sasha Banks defeated Bayley in 18:20 to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
Cole hyped the Survivor Series qualifiers while Banks headed to the stage. Banks posed with her title, then turned to head to the back and was hit with a superkick from Carmella, who had new red gear. Carmella face planted Banks on the stage, then mugged for the virtual crowd…
Powell’s POV: A strong match with some quality near falls for Bayley before Banks beat her in the end. The post match angle with Carmella attacking Banks was a quick transition to the next Banks’ feud. I’m just as curious to see what’s next for Bayley now that she lost this match. On a side note, I wonder if WWE planned to open the show with this title match from the start or if they moved it to the opening slot due to the threat of Fox cutting in with election coverage.
Jey Uso was shown backstage getting a coffee while standing in front of the the ring interview set. Kevin Owens showed up and wondered if Uso was fetching coffee for Roman Reigns and wondered if that should be Paul Heyman’s job. Uso took offense and wondered if Owens thought his family was a joke. Owens said no and said he was just checking in on him since they are partners at Survivor Series. Owens suggested that Jey switch to decaf coffee… [C]
The broadcast team hyped Survivor Series as the Final Farewell for Undertaker. Graves hyped that Taker would appear live at Survivor Series… The broadcast team recapped Carmella’s attack on Banks. Cole noted that Carmella tweeted earlier in the day about “today being the day” and everyone finding out that she’s untouchable…
Jey Uso was interviewed by Braxton on the ring interview set. She set up a video package on his recent saga with Roman Reigns. Braxton asked Jey for his reaction to the video, which concluded with his attack on Daniel Bryan. Uso said Bryan was a friend, but he’s not blood. Braxton brought up Uso having to do what Reigns told him or he would be kicked out of the family. Paul Heyman showed up and said Reigns did not authorize the interview. Heyman told Uso not to keep Reigns waiting…
Rey Mysterio was on the phone trying to track down his daughter. Dominik showed up and pointed out that Mysterio wasn’t dressed yet and his match was up next. Rey told Dom to find his sister. When Dom walked away, King Corbin showed up and took a cheap shot at Rey and then put the boots to him… [C] An ad for Raw hyped Drew McIntyre appearing on A Moment of Bliss…
Backstage, Heyman stood in front of Roman Reigns’ locker room door and told Uso that if he wants to do an interview, he should run it by Reigns first. Uso wasn’t happy about it. Uso said he wanted to talk to Reigns about it. Heyman said he would talk to Reigns first. Heyman went into the locker room, then returned with Reigns, who told Uso to talk to him or Heyman before he does interviews. Uso vented about Owens making jokes.
Reigns said that if Owens disrespected Uso then he disrespected him and their entire family. Reigns asked Uso if he was going to let it slide. Uso said he would handle it. Reigns asked Heyman if hew knew about what happened with Uso and Owens. Heyman stammered. Reigns told him that he is supposed to know about everything and Heyman is supposed to handle things so he doesn’t have to. Reigns told Heyman to get Adam Pearce…
Powell’s POV: I’m digging the dynamic between Reigns and Uso. It would have been awkward if Uso was just blindly aligned with his cousin following their feud. Rather, Jey is conflicted because he’s been forced into this position. Only time will tell whether he eventually falls in line completely or if they are going to keep him sympathetic for an eventual split.
2. Rey Mysterio (w/Dominik Mysterio) vs. King Corbin in a Team Smackdown qualifier for Survivor Series. Corbin’s entrance was not televised. Rey wore a t-shirt and sweatpants rather than his usual gear. Rey charged Corbin, who put him down with a spinebuster and got a quick two count. Mysterio took offensive control when Seth Rollins made his entrance and stood on the stage. [C]
Corbin took offensive control while Rollins continued to watch from the stage. Rollins applauded Corbin and yelled, “Punish him.” Dominick stood at the bottom of the ramp and watched the match while turning to keep an eye on Rollins too. Corbin powerslammed Rey for a two count.
[Hour Two] Corbin looked at Dom and smiled before throwing punches at Rey’s head. Cole said the match was difficult to watch because Corbin was so dominant. Rey rallied and hit some of his signature offense, which led to a two count. Corbin rolled to ringside to avoid a 619. Corbin hit Dom with a cheap shot. Rey kicked Corbin through the ropes, then performed a tope onto him. Rey checked on Dom, who was holding his knee and neck.
Back inside the ring, Corbin went for a powerbomb, but Rey countered into a huracanrana. Rey hit a 619 on Corbin. Rollins attacked Dom at ringside. Rey left the ring and went after Rollins. Murphy and Aliyah showed up. Rey told his daughter to get Murphy out of there. Rey returned to the ring and took the End of Days before being pinned…
King Corbin defeated Rey Mysterio in 15:35 to earn a spot on Team Smackdown at Survivor Series.
Cole hyped Rollins vs. Otis in another Team Smackdown qualifier. Graves announced Kevin Owens vs. Jey Uso for later in the show. Cole asked if Reigns pulled strings with Adam Pearce again… [C]
Powell’s POV: The match felt longer than it needed to be, but it was solid. The question now is whether Murphy and Aliyah will align with Rollins or if they are going the feel good route that will lead to Murphy being accepted by Rey and Dom. At least Angie had the good sense to stay home to avoid this family drama!
3. Ruby Riott vs. Zelina Vega vs. Natalya in a Triple Threat to qualify for Team Smackdown at Survivor Series. Natalya was the only one of the three to have a televised entrance. Riott had a shorter hairstyle. Natalya had Vega in a Sharpshooter. Vega reached the ropes. Cole noted that it didn’t matter because there were no disqualifications in a Triple Threat. Vega was on the verge of tapping out, but Riott returned to the ring and put Vega in an armbar. Natalya released the Sharpshooter, then Vega tapped out to the armbar…
Ruby Riott defeated Zelina Vega and Natalya in 3:10 to earn a spot on Team Smackdown at Survivor Series.
Powell’s POV: I like Riott’s new look. Here’s hoping that this is a sign that creative wants to do more with her as a singles act. The Riott Squad reunion just hasn’t clicked and both Riott and Liv Morgan might be better off doing their own thing.
Big E won a game of Trivial Pursuit against an unnamed woman, who slipped him some cash and left the scene. The Street Profits showed up and chanted “New Day rocks.” Big E assumed they were trying to get a scoop for their match against Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Big E got them to move in close, then said if they lay down in the ring then Kingston and Woods wouldn’t beat them up too bad. Big E busted out laughing, then the Street Profits joined him in over the top laughter.
Billie Kay showed up and tried to join in on the laughing. She handed the Profits her headshot and noted that she was on the Raw roster previously. The Profits noted that they were on Raw at the same time as her, then handed back her headshot…
Otis made his entrance… [C] A sponsored recap focused on the Mysterio family drama… Rollins made his entrance…
4. Seth Rollins vs. Otis in a Team Smackdown qualifier for Survivor Series. Otis put Rollins down with some power moves. Rollins fled to ringside. Murphy walked to the ring while Rey, Dom, and Aliyah were shown watching on a backstage monitor. Rollins returned to the ring and was sent back to ringside by Otis.
Rollins was apprehensive as he stood up with Murphy by him, but Murphy didn’t move. Otis charged Rollins and knocked him down, then sent him back inside the ring. When Otis returned to the ring, Rollins put him down with a sling blade clothesline and got a two count.
Rollins threw some shots at the gut of Otis, who no-sold them. Otis went on the the offensive and performed a spinning slam. Rollins caught a charging Otis with a boot, then dove from the second rope at him, but Otis caught him and performed a fallaway slam. Otis splashed Rollins in the corner.
Murphy climbed onto the apron and looked at Otis and then Rollins, who smiled. Otis charged Murphy, who dropped off the apron. Rollins took advantage of the distraction and ended up performing a Stomp that led to the pin.
Seth Rollins defeated Otis in 4:30 to qualify for Team Smackdown at Survivor Series.
After the match, the Mysterios were shown looking upset. Murphy walked to the back and Rollins looked like he didn’t know what to make of his former henchman…
An Undertaker themed commercial aired for Survivor Series… [C]
Powell’s POV: Rollins and Otis was a fun match. The use of Murphy was interesting in that he didn’t show his hand. It looks like he helped Rollins and we’re left to wonder if they are in cahoots or if Murphy is setting up Rollins for a fall.
Rollins chased Murphy down and said he through he knew what he saw, but he needed Murphy to tell him. Murphy called Rollins “messiah.” Rollins assumed Murphy was back in the fold and walked away. Aliyah showed up and started shoving Murphy, who said he knew what he was doing and needed her to trust him. “This is for the greater good,” Murphy said…
A pre-taped interview with Lars Sullivan that was conducted by Cole was shown. Sullivan said he hates bullies. He said he’s been bullied his entire life for the way he looks, talks, and dresses. He said the bullies pushed him down, kicked him, and stole his lunch. He said they mocked him and called him a freak. He said once he turned 13, he started lifting weights and then gained 50 pounds of muscle in 18 months.
Sullivan said he became the bully who bullied the bullies. He said it was so much fun, and he also bullied the kids who watched and laughed at him because they deserved it. Sullivan said he learned that he could bully whoever he wanted and make them do whatever he wanted and make them eat whatever he wanted including dirt, glass, and bugs. Sullivan let out a primal scream and said that it was intimidation and bullying, and he loved it…
Powell’s POV: That SOB made Brennan lick white dog poop! Anyway, you’re a grown ass man who is still hung up on your elementary school days. What an f’n freak. Oh, wait…
Jey Uso made his entrance for the main event… [C] Kevin Owens was interviewed on the Gorilla Position set by Kayla Braxton. Owens said he’s done a lot of questionable things during his career for his family. He said the difference is that he did so on his own, whereas Jey is doing it for Roman Reigns. Owens looked into the camera and said the beating he would give Uso was one hundred percent from him. Owens made his entrance…
5. Jey Uso vs. Kevin Owens. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman were shown watching the match on a backstage monitor. Cole played up the idea of Reigns having influence over Adam Pearce. Graves said Reigns has influence because he is box office. Owens was on the offensive when Heyman was shown leaving the side of Reigns. [C]
Owens went up top, but he was distracted by Heyman walking to ringside. Uso kicked Owens, who fell to ringside. Uso performed a dive onto Owens. Back inside the ring, Owens rallied and performed a Swanton for a near fall. Uso came back with a superkick and a neckbreaker for a two count of his own.
A short time later, Owens performed a popup powerbomb for another near fall. Roman Reigns’ entrance theme played, which distracted Owens. Uso delivered a headbutt to the groin to take advantage of the distraction. Uso followed up with an Uso Splash and scored the pin.
Jey Uso defeated Kevin Owens in 11:25.
Cole called it a disgusting win for Uso. Afterward, Uso went to ringside and shook hands with Heyman. Reigns walked onto the stage. Uso nodded at his cousin and then stood by his side while Reigns held up the WWE Universal Championship to close the show…
Powell’s POV: An entertaining main event. It looks like sympathetic and conflicted Uso didn’t last long, as he seemed pretty content with the way he won the match. I continue to enjoy Reigns and Uso storyline even if it did feel like they could have milked it a bit longer before Uso fell in line at a more critical point.
Overall, Smackdown kept its momentum going. I like that it’s become the no nonsense show. They even got through Halloween Eve without doing any holiday related silliness last week. Let me know what you thought of the show by assigning it a letter grade in our post Smackdown poll. I will return shortly with my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members.
Join me for live coverage of AEW Full Gear on Saturday night. Dot Net Members will hear an exclusive audio review co-hosted by Jake Barnett and I following the pay-per-view. Join us on our ad-free website and unlock all of our audio content via PWMembership.net.
I’m NOT digging the dynamic between Reigns and Uso the whole storyline is boring zzzzzzzzzzzzz
” On a side note, I wonder if WWE planned to open the show with this title match from the start or if they moved it to the opening slot due to the threat of Fox cutting in with election coverage.”
A lot of the show felt throw-away; like they were expecting to be cut off at anytime. Ups: Banks and Bayley. Downs: Mysterio family storyline- just not well done and tired. The whole “let’s move the entire feud over to a new brand” thing is lazy. Boo.
Street Profits with Big E has potential though I see NO reason to turn Big E against New Day.
Lars Sullivan is a waste of space and time; “I hate Bullies but I LOVE being a bully” bleah. Directionless and pointless. I’d rather work on my taxes.
No one is stopping you from working on your taxes.