By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Episode 1,108)
Live from in Orlando, Florida at Amway Center
Aired November 13, 2020 on Fox
[Hour One] Michael Cole checked in on commentary and touted ThunderDome before plugging the insurance company sponsor. Corey Graves was the color commentator…
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his entrance along with Paul Heyman. Cole hyped Reigns facing either Randy Orton or Drew McIntyre at Survivor Series pending the outcome of Monday’s WWE Championship match. Once in the ring, Reigns asked Heyman what he calls this place. “The Island of Relevancy,” Reigns repeated.
Heyman said it’s because Reigns makes everyone relevant. Reigns said people didn’t know the difference between the Usos and now Jey Uso is a main eventer. Reigns said Uso would lead “my team, Team Smackdown to victory” at Survivor Series. Reigns said he would establish his own dominance.
Reigns turned his focus to Randy Orton. “When you think about Randy Orton, which I don’t, he’s the classic example of you can respect a man’s accomplishments and still not respect the man himself,” Reigns said.
Drew McIntyre made his entrance dressed in regular attire. Graves said Heyman looked like he’d just seen a ghost. McIntyre entered the ring and told Reigns that it’s been a minute. Reigns asked Heyman if he missed him. McIntyre said told Reigns that he would beat Orton on Raw and then he will face Reigns at Survivor Series.
McIntyre said the last time he and Reigns were in the ring together, McIntyre eliminated Reigns from the the Royal Rumble. McIntyre spoke about going on to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. McIntyre said Reigns wouldn’t know about WrestleMania because he disappeared.
“Somebody had to step up, and that somebody was Drew McIntyre,” McIntyre said. McIntyre added that Reigns thinks being the man in WWE is his right, whereas he considers it an honor. McIntyre said he is the man now and will prove it at Survivor Series.
Reigns said he likes McIntyre and what he said is true, but he’s back now. Reigns said no one watches Raw because they are watching Smackdown due to him. Reigns told McIntyre to let everyone know who he is. McIntyre said he’s the guy who will beat Orton, take the title, and face Reigns at Survivor Series.
Jey Uso ran out while McIntyre and Reigns were going face to face. Uso asked McIntyre what he was doing on Smackdown. Uso said he and Reigns run Smackdown. Uso said McIntyre was being disrespectful. Uso challenged McIntyre to a singles match on Smackdown. McIntyre tried to respond, but Uso dropped the mic. McIntyre shoved Uso to the mat. Reigns stepped up and dropped his mic. McIntyre jawed at Reigns, then Reigns, Uso, and Heyman left the ring…
The broadcast team hyped the Intercontinental Championship for after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: An excellent opening segment. Yes, they broke the brand split rules, but you had to know that was going to happen during the Survivor Series build and this was much better than the usual invasion or show closing brawl between the Raw and Smackdown wrestlers. I still don’t like the idea of rushing to McIntyre vs. Reigns at Survivor Series because I view it as a potential WrestleMania main event, but they could always deliver a match that doesn’t end in a clean finish at Survivor Series and whets the appetite of fans for the WrestleMania showdown match.
Backstage, Reigns yelled at Uso for making it seem like they run Smackdown together. Reigns said he calls the shots and took issue with Uso booking himself in a match against McIntyre. Uso took the tongue lashing without offering a rebuttal…
Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn headed to the ring and said he was informed just an hour before the show that he had to defend his title. Zayn complained about having to face a former champion in Apollo Crews. He accused WWE of attempting to sabotage him. Zayn said he’s used to it and he would use it as an opportunity to show the difference between an Intercontinental Champion and a U.S. Champion. Crews’s entrance theme interrupted Zayn…
Powell’s POV: I got a kick out of the way Zayn leaned into the late announcement of tonight’s Smackdown matches. There was nothing announced for tonight’s show until roughly an hour before they went on the air.
1. Sami Zayn vs. Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Championship. Crews jumped out to a quick start. Zayn rolled to ringside and pulled the ring skirting off the apron. Crews followed to the floor and was shoved into the exposed frame. Zayn tied up Crews in the ropes that tie the apron to the frame, which resulted in a count-out…
Sami Zayn defeated Apollo Crews in 2:05 via count-out to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
Powell’s POV: A brief match with a creative way to get to the count-out finish.
Adam Pearce told Drew McIntyre that he couldn’t officially sanction a Raw vs. Smackdown match, but he could give him the fight if he wanted it. McIntyre accepted and told Pearce to tell Reigns to get a front row seat because he would want to see the match…
Kayla Braxton spoke with Rey Mysterio, his wife Angie, daughter Aliyah, and son Dominik. Rey did the talking about facing Seth Rollins. Mysterio said he would send Rollins to the soul crushing hell where he belongs…
Smackdown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks made her entrance. Cole noted that WWE wrestlers have been paying homage to Undertaker with their Undertaker poses. They showed Banks’s Taker pose… [C]
Powell’s POV: Will they mention Sasha’s appearance on this week’s episode of The Mandalorian? Don’t worry, no spoilers on the new episode that dropped today. The show might air be a streaming rival that is owned by a Fox rival, but the bottom line is that it makes Banks look like a big star to be involved in the Star Wars universe series, which is good for the company.
Graves said the McIntyre vs. Uso match was official as the main event of Smackdown… A video package recapped Banks beating Bayley last week, only to be attacked by Carmella…
Banks boasted about retaining her championship. She started to speak about Carmella when she was interrupted by Bayley’s entrance music. Bayley came out and distracted Banks while Carmella entered the ring from the other side. Carmella superkicked Banks and then put her down with a facebuster…
Otis was seated at a table while eating from three plates of food backstage. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode showed up and laughed about Otis’s recent woes as if he wasn’t there. Otis yelled stop, then flipped the table over… [C]
Smackdown took a turn for the worse when Dolph Ziggler’s sorry ass entrance theme played and he headed to the ring with Robert Roode. Otis followed with his own entrance…
2. Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Robert Roode). Otis worked over Ziggler to start. Roode provided a distraction that allowed Ziggler to hit a Zigzag for a near fall. Otis came right back and performed a Caterpillar. Otis went to the middle rope. Roode climbed onto the apron, but Otis scared him away, then splashed and pinned Ziggler…
Otis beat Dolph Ziggler in 1:50.
Seth Rollins and Murphy were shown backstage. Rollins was doing all the talking while Murphy nodded along… [C]
Otis was talking to himself backstage when Chad Gable showed up and told him that he needed to do what he did to Ziggler every week. Gable said Otis needs a mentor, someone who can unlock his inner alpha. Gable handed Otis an “Alpha Academy” pamphlet. Otis got fired up about the academy and walked away with the pamphlet. Gable flashed a sinister look while watching Otis walk away…
A video package recapped the Rollins and Mysterio family saga… Entrances for the Rollins vs. Mysterio match took place… [C]
3. Rey Mysterio (w/Angie, Aliyah, Dominik) vs. Seth Rollins (w/Murphy) in a No Holds Barred match. Mysterio performed an early tornado DDT on the apron, then followed Rollins to ringside where he shoved him into the barricade.
[Hour Two] Rollins came back by shaving Mysterio into the ring steps, then put him in electric chair position. Mysterio countered into a sunset bomb that drove Rollins into the barricade. Rollins regrouped and slammed Mysterio onto the broadcast table.
Rollins dominated the next few minutes of the match. Rollins placed Mysterio over a piece of the ring steps on the floor and went for a Stomp, but Mysterio avoided it. Mysterio returned to the ring, ran the ropes, and slid under the bottom rope onto Rollins, who was lying on the ring steps. [C]
Rollins powerbombed Mysterio through a table that was set up in the ring. Rollins went for the cover, but Mysterio kicked out. Rollins expressed frustration. Rollins grabbed a chair and took the rubber piece off the bottom. Rollins wanted to jab the exposed part of the chair into the eye of Mysterio.
Dom tried to help his father, but Rollins cut him off. Mysterio recovered and knocked Rollins down. Murphy entered the ring and helped Rollins to his feet, then handed him the chair. Murphy walked toward Rey, then turned and hit Rollins with a running knee to the head. Murphy left the ring while Rollins barked at him while leaning on the ropes. Mysterio botched a 619. Rey kicked Rollins, then hit the 619 on the second try. Rey performed a frogsplash and scored the pin.
Rey Mysterio defeated Seth Rollins in 18:25 in a No Holds Barred match.
After the match, the Mysterio family celebrated in the ring while Murphy scowled at Rollins. Aliyah started to walk toward Murphy, but Rey stopped her. Rey walked over to Murphy, who was on the apron, and told him to get in the ring and face him like a man. Rey asked Murphy if he was looking for his approval, then offered a handshake, which Murphy accepted. Aliyah hugged Murphy, who shook hands with Dom, and was embraced by Angie…
Powell’s POV: A 32 year-old dude getting the blessing from mom, dad, and the big brother to continue hooking up with the 19 year-old daughter? This might be the fakest moment in pro wrestling history! Anyway, Cole noted that Mysterio used the finisher of Eddie Guerrero, who died 15 years ago today. If Rey had to botch a move on this night, at least it was the 619 rather than the frogsplash.
Backstage, Adam Pearce informed Natayla that he put her in a Triple Threat qualifier for a spot on Team Smackdown. She ranted about being the person who could carry the team to victory. He told her the Triple Threat was up next. After Natalya stormed away, Chelsea Green put her hand on the shoulder of Pearce and smiled… [C]
Otis, Murphy, and the entire Mysterio family were announced for Talking Smack…
Adam Pearce has his own office and nameplate now. Rollins demanded that he get a chance to end Murphy after making him…
4. Chelsea Green vs. Natalya vs. Liv Morgan vs. Tamina in a four-way qualifier for Team Smackdown at Survivor Series. The match was just about to begin as a Triple Threat when the ring announcer made the late addition of Green to the match. Graves said he didn’t know much about Green, but the other women in the locker room don’t care for her.
Tamina knocked down Green with a punch to start the match. Morgan climbed onto the back of Tamina. Green charged at Tamina, who kicked her, then Natalya tried the same thing and met the same fate as Green. Natalya and Green pulled Tamina to ringside and ran her into the barricade. Green tried to get back insie the ring, but Morgan dropkicked her.
In the ring, Morgan DDT’d Natalya for a good near fall while Green and Tamina were at ringside. Natalya came back, but Morgan cut her off and got another good near fall. Tamina ran in and was put down by a clunky Codebreaker, which led to Morgan scoring the pin…
Liv Morgan defeated Natalya, Chelsea Green, and Tamina in a four-way in 3:55 to qualify for Team Smackdown at Survivor Series.
Powell’s POV: I have no idea why they added Green to the match just to have her spend most of it at ringside. She could still qualify for Team Smackdown if they do another second chance qualifier, but the potential dynamic between Green and Pearce is a lot more interesting than Green was booked to be in this match.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Drew McIntyre on the backstage ring set. McIntyre said he wanted to send a message to Reigns, but instead he’ll get to send one to Randy Orton. McIntyre warned Uso that it’s a lot more embarrassing to get your ass kicked in your own backyard… [C]
Cole hyped The Day of Hell in a Cell on WWE Network…
Big E counted as a man in a suit was jumping rope. The man didn’t make it to one hundred and apparently lost a bet, as he handed some cash to E. The Street Profits showed up and presented Big E with two plate of dinner and one plate of cake. Big E told them the best they will ever be is New Day Lite. E told them that the best tag team in the world will be clear as day, the New Day. The Street Profits laughed with Big E, then looked serious once he walked away…
Drew McIntyre made his entrance for the main event while the broadcast team hyped his WWE Championship match with Randy Orton for Raw. Jey Uso made his entrance without Reigns or Heyman… [C]
5. Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso. McIntyre got the better of Uso to start. A few minutes in, Uso kicked the middle rope into the groin of McIntyre, who was trying to get back inside the ring. Uso superkicked McIntyre to ringside. [C]
Uso was on the offensive coming out of the break, but McIntyre eventually started to make a comeback. McIntyre went for a Future Shock DDT, but Uso stuffed it. Moments later, McIntyre pushed Uso into the air and then slammed him down between his legs, which led to a two count.
Uso came right back with a superkick. Uso went up top for his finisher. McIntyre cut off Uso on the ropes and superplexed him. McIntyre set up for his finisher, but Uso rolled to ringside to avoid it. McIntyre followed and worked over Uso at ringside.
Roman Reigns’ entrance music played. Reigns and Paul Heyman walked to ringside where McIntyre was waiting with open arms. Uso took advantage of the distraction by running McIntyre into two ring posts followed by the ring steps.
“Make him understand,” Reigns told his cousin. Uso entered the ring and threw repeated punches at the head of McIntyre. Uso stood up. McIntyre got up with him and then put him down with a Claymore Kick that led to the three count.
Drew McIntyre defeated Jey Uso in 12:20.
After the match, McIntyre went to ringside and got in the face of Reigns. “Do you understand me now?” McIntyre said. Reigns looked at his belt and told him to win one and then they would talk next Sunday. Reigns and Heyman headed up the ramp while McIntyre smiled…
Powell’s POV: The Reigns and McIntyre exchanges left me conflicted. I really would prefer to see WWE save their next match for a WrestleMania main event, but they also did a really good job of making me want to see them meet at Survivor Series. Overall, this was a strong episode with only the quick Otis vs. Ziggler match feeling like filler. Let me know what you thought of the show by assigning it a letter grade in our post Smackdown poll available via the main page. I will be back shortly with my weekly, same night audio review for Dot Net Members. Join us on our ad-free website and unlock all of our audio content via PWMembership.net.
If it’s unsanctioned, how come Drew gets his full intro on the brand he’s not regularly on? Why doesn’t creative ever think these things through?