WWE SmackDown UK Taping LIVE SPOILERS

WWE is taping SmackDown in Manchester this evening, with the show airing at the usual time tonight on tape delay.

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The crowd for Raw last night was disappointing by WWE standards. Over the years Raw in the UK has always been jam-packed but yesterday’s attendance saw a massive drop off. It’s always worse for SmackDown and tonight appears to be no different, with huge sections of the building draped off:

Very poor turnout for Smackdown tonight in Manchester pic.twitter.com/eU14nPPZzT

— John Searle (@SAINTLYPHERE) November 6, 2018

Happy one year anniversary to AJ Styles’ WWE Title reign. He won the belt on November 7 last year on SmackDown in the same building as tonight’s show.
The show started with the UK’s only Paige introducing Shane McMahon as “the best in the world”. The crowd booed and LOUDLY chanted for CM Punk, as you can see in this video. These will definitely be edited out of the show:

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059887088122949636

Shane admitted he was NOT the best in the world (which seems to go against reports that he is turning heel) and said he did what he did at Crown Jewel for the sake of SmackDown.
Daniel Bryan was introduced as the team captain for the SmackDown team at Survivor Series. The Miz disagreed, saying he should be captain. Shane and Paige agreed to make them co-captains.
Rey Mysterio v Andrade Cien Almas confirmed for later tonight. That should be a belter.
We’ve also got New Day v Usos, which was one of the hottest WWE rivalries of 2017. This should be a much better show than Raw.
We’ve got the first three members of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series confirmed. Daniel Bryan, The Miz and . . . Shane McMahon. Bryan and Miz both wanted Shane on the team and he agreed. Of course he did. The crowd hated this decision. Shane was on Team SmackDown at last year’s match as well. He was the last guy left on the team! The remaining two members of the team will be confirmed tonight.
Here’s another picture of the poor draw:

The Usos beat New Day in a match that was described as a “classic” by those in the building. As a result of the victory The Usos will captain the SmackDown tag teams (woo-hoo?). New Day will be on the team too.
Daniel Bryan added Rey Mysterio to the Survivor Series team. The Miz went along with the decision on the condition that Rey can beat Almas tonight.
The final spot will go to the winner of a match between someone Bryan picks and someone The Miz picks, which will happen shortly.
Will there be a women’s match on tonight’s show? The last women’s match on SmackDown was October 9.
Becky Lynch – who was very over – responded to Ronda Rousey’s promo last night on Raw. “I don’t care if you’re the baddest bitch on the planet, because I’m going to make you mine.”

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059897687473033218

NIKKI CROSS is here. Finally!
And here’s a video of her debut and the great reaction she received. WWE is smart to debut her in the UK.

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059898768760422402

I take back what I said earlier about the lack of women’s match. We are getting one: Nikki Cross v Becky Lynch! I bet nobody saw that one coming. This is shaping up to be some show!
Oh . . . Nikki tapped out in 5 minutes. Fairly good match for the time it was given but boy oh boy do WWE‘s main roster writers not “get” SAnitY. What a strange decision to beat Nikki in that manner.
The match to determine the final Team SD spot is going to be between Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy
Almas v Rey is next.
Everyone is so excited for Almas v Rey but this is WWE. Anyone else thinking 5 minute match with a screwy finish?
Can confirm that Zelina Vega is NOT with Almas tonight.
Mysterio beat Almas in what was described as a “very very good” match and will join Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. Randy Orton turned up afterwards to RKO Rey because, why the hell not?

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059904820444835840

Forgot to mention earlier: AOP v The Bar now official for Survivor Series
The reveal of the SmackDown women’s team at Survivor Series is coming up next.
Carmella, Naomi, Sonya Deville, Asuka and Charlotte Flair make up the team. Only Mandy Rose came out instead of Charlotte and demanded to know why everyone else in the team made it ahead of her.
Rose cut a scathing promo and had a staredown with bestie Deville. No sign of Charlotte at all, which is . . . unusual.
Main event time: Joe v Hardy for a place on the Survivor Series team
Joe wins with the coquina clutch to take his place on the team

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059911209376538626

Post-match, Joe attacks Bryan which leads to a melee involving everyone on Team SmackDown. The show ends with Shane getting clocked by Bryan. That confirms it, we have gone back in time a year.