WWE SmackDown – November 15, 2019 (Review)

I don’t hate WWE. I may gripe, complain, bellyache, bleat, moan and generally stir up a hullabaloo every now and then. But it’s not because I hate the product, and it’s certainly not because I hate the sport. I love wrestling, have since I was a kid. And I will always feel indebted to WWE/F for introducing me to something I care for so deeply, something that I have become so passionate about and is the source of many of my favourite memories.

I just want it to be better.

SmackDown of late (and WWE generally) typifies my frustrations with the company’s direction. One of the best episodes of the blue brand took place just two weeks ago, as NXT led a sudden, devastating invasion of the main roster. It was shocking and immediate – like the time SmackDown placed Raw “under siege”, except good.

But all NXT has done since then is lose. Adam Cole lost to Seth Rollins. WALTER lost to Seth Rollins. Imperium was beaten by a team captained by Seth Rollins. I’m starting to notice a pattern here…

The effect of this prolonged erosion of the developmental brand is that, as we round the final bend to the year’s last major pay-per-view, NXT feels like a non-entity. With the exception of Shayna Baszler, none of the black-and-yellow brand’s stars feel like legitimate threats, on par with the wrestlers of Raw and SmackDown. They’ve already been easily swept aside.

Even more annoying is the haphazard, hotshot booking that’s beset recent weeks. One of the major attractions of Survivor Series is the mystery of who might represent each side in the traditional five-on-five elimination matches. And yet, despite the inclusion of NXT for this year’s spectacle, that mystery has somehow been diminished.

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Wrestlers have routinely just been announced for either team, with little in the way of explanation. Lacey Evans is simply in the women’s team representing SmackDown, despite having only won one of her last six matches. Similarly, the teams announced to compete on behalf of the main roster brands on the men’s side. Each of them were just revealed in a match graphic, without so much as the slightest spectre of reasoning.

But even that might be tolerable if it didn’t immediately appear like WWE had changed its mind. Because the rundown for last night’s show featured two matches in which competitors stood to be added to a Survivor Series team. Nikki Cross would gain a spot if she was able to defeat Bayley, and Mustafa Ali and Shorty G would place their allotted spots up for grabs in a match against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.

Why are they made to qualify for the roster when others aren’t? Why are Seth Rollins and Sasha Banks the captains of their respective teams? Who is making these decisions? Where is Natalya?

It’s incongruences like those that drive me mad. But I don’t hate WWE. I just want it to be better.

Let’s get to the review.

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The Best of SmackDown

The Belt is Blue

Bray Wyatt dressed as a magician on this week’s Firefly Funhouse, whereafter he promptly transformed the red Universal Title into a blue Universal Title. Art imitated life on that one… or, more accurately, the colour of the belt imitated the result of the Draft.

YOWIE WOWIE! 😍😍

Would you take a look at that new 💙BLUE💙 #UniversalChampionship? #SmackDown @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/kVW5CbcdKM

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

Wyatt said that he would be watching Daniel Bryan’s appearance on MizTV later in the show. And so would “he”, being an obvious reference to The Fiend. This effectively set up a confrontation later in the night.

Bryan Makes His Choice

Much as he did last week, Sami Zayn tracked down Daniel Bryan backstage. He was concerned for Bryan’s wellbeing, given Wyatt’s ominous message earlier. Under those circumstances, Sami claimed, it was paramount for Daniel to decide whether he was prepared to align himself with Zayn, Nakamura and Cesaro.

Bryan took exception to the manner in which Zayn had abandoned him to The Fiend last week, and made it clear that he was not prepared to join the trio. He did have a suggestion for a fourth member though: Braun Strowman.

.@WWEDanielBryan won't join @SamiZayn & @ShinsukeN… but maybe @BraunStrowman will? 😬😬😬 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/6xDoplRkxq

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

Sami wasn’t at all receptive to the proposal. His group comprised artists, poets and intellectuals. Braun was just big and strong, and had nothing to offer them. At that moment, Braun snuck into frame, catching Sami completely off guard. Like a kid with a hand in the cookie jar, Zayn awkwardly stammered through a halfhearted explanation before yanking Nakamura to safety.

I’m not sure why Braun would care whether Zayn wanted him in the faction or not, especially when Sami hadn’t said anything particularly objectionable. Braun is just “big and strong”. But the interaction with Bryan was nevertheless interesting and Sami’s mannerisms are always amusing.

New Day Defend Against Familiar Foes

Several months after the automatic rematch clause was scrapped, New Day defended their SmackDown Tag Team Titles against The Revival, in a rematch of last week’s encounter.

Are we about to have new champions?!? #SmackDown @DashWilderWWE @ScottDawsonWWE @WWEBigE pic.twitter.com/57xawVpMto

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

I wasn’t overly enthused with the original but found this match to be a massive upgrade. The pace was relentless from the outset and it was impossible to say which team had the ascendency. For every big move, there was an equal but opposite counter. That’s WWE’s Third Law of wrestling.

When Kofi was driven into the ring post, and Dawson and Wilder hit the Shatter Machine on Big E, I honesty thought we were in for a title change. But Kingston came flying off the top rope to break up the pin at the last moment.

But then the Undisputed Era burst through the crowd and proceeded to absolutely decimate both teams. It was exactly what NXT needed to re-establish itself after a lacklustre week. They threw Kofi into the barricade and hit Dawson with the High / Low, before SmackDown’s reinforcements could make the save.

"We RUN WWE!" – @AdamColePro

You sure about that? 🤔 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/MFxryb4wIZ

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

The Best MizTV Ever?

Bryan’s much anticipated appearance on MizTV was greeted by a remarkably combative Miz. He demanded to know why Bryan had become The Fiend’s latest target, but was met with nothing but silence from his guest. So The Miz was left to postulate that the reason Daniel Bryan had been attacked was that he had become confused, conflicted and unsure of himself. Bryan had lost his identity, no longer the leader of the Yes Movement nor the environmentally-conscious ‘New’ Daniel Bryan.

Bryan said that he would address The Fiend shortly, but that the reason for his silence was that MizTV sucked – and it always had. Bryan angrily yelled that neither the fans nor Miz understood what passion combined with mental instability could drive a man to do. The kind of mental instability that drove him to kill the Yes Movement when he could’ve ridden it out for years, or to kick a man in the balls to win the WWE Championship.

Miz didn’t understand… but Bray Wyatt certainly did. Because he’s just as unstable as Daniel is.

Just then Bray Wyatt interrupted from the confines of his Fun House. He pondered whether The Fiend was simply trying to scare Bryan. Or perhaps it was because of what Bryan had done (presumably harkening back to his days in the Wyatt Family). Or maybe he just wanted to play!

So Wyatt dug around in his chest of toys, eventually hauling out the Universal Championship. And if Bryan wanted to play, all he had to do was say that one magic word. With the puppets encouraging him to say “yes”, Bryan instead refused. He wasn’t about to go to the Fun House to play.

Does @WWEBrayWyatt accept @WWEDanielBryan's #UniversalChampionship challenge?

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/VFBylFRuum

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

If the Fiend wanted a fight, however, then Bryan was happy to oblige. Provided that it was for the Universal Title. Bray gleefully accepted the challenge and began a very enthusiastic “Yes!” chant. And so, the title match was set for Survivor Series.

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The Worst of SmackDown

The King And His Subjects

Baron Corbin was paraded to the ring on a throne carried by six nondescript royal subjects. It was a very slow, troublingly unstable way to get down the ramp. But I suppose at the very least, it’s thematically appropriate for the King of the Ring winner.

He was flanked by Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, who were there to set up their match against Mustafa Ali and Chad Gable. Corbin picked up where he left off last week by continuing to denigrate Roman Reigns in the blandest terms possible, before declaring himself the captain of Team SmackDown ahead of Survivor Series. Of course, none of that matters because captaincy doesn’t come with any special powers or privileges.

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He then invited Roman Reigns out to witness the upcoming tag match. Reigns’ music hit, except it was overlaid with the yapping of the small puppy we heard last week. And… for the love of God… a man dressed in a dog costume walked out. Corbin made the mascot bend the knee before him. Michael Cole called the entire saga embarrassing – and for the first time in a long while, I agree with him.

Gable and Ali Secure their Spots

The tag match which followed Corbin’s now routine shambolic promo provided little inspiration. Gable, Ali, Roode and Ziggler – while certainly more than capable – put on a very standard bout, clearly undermined by Corbin and the giant dog at ringside.

Are we 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 the "G" in Shorty G doesn't stand for GREAT? #SmackDown @WWEGable pic.twitter.com/0o6bkKIAEa

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 16, 2019

But all of this was just window dressing for Roman Reigns’ eventual arrival, which saw the numbers evened up. With all of the pieces in place, the match picked up somewhat. Shorty G hit a massive moonsault for a near fall, only to walk into the spinebuster / Zig Zag combo. Ali broke up the pinfall to cap a fun sequence.

After further interference from Corbin, Reigns nullified him with a spear. This finally opened the door for Ali and Shorty G, and the former hit a 450 Splash on Ziggler for the win.

MUSTAFA ALI and SHORTY G stand their ground as they keep their place in the Men's #SmackDown #SurvivorSeries team! @WWERomanReigns @WWEGable @AliWWE pic.twitter.com/odfDEyXz0B

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

The premise was that had Gable and Ali lost, they would be replaced in the Survivor Series match by Ziggler and Roode. But their places never truly felt under threat, primarily because Ziggler and Roode don’t feel like a major presence on SmackDown. So in the end, this was little more than a predictable, routine match, with a load of nonsense playing out around ringside.

Drew Gulak: Former Champion

Drew Gulak, with the B-Team, presented Braun Strowman with a premonition of what would happen if he replaced Strowman on Team SmackDown. Which was in essence just a photo of a referee holding Gulak’s hand aloft, along with a caption reading “Drew Gulak Saves Team SmackDown”.

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Braun responded by beating up all three men. It was certainly a way to fill three minutes of airtime.

The Carousel of Enhancement Talent

Heavy Machinery beat up some jobbers this week. That’s pretty much it.

Bayley, The Crusher of Dreams

Bayley recapped her appearance on NXT on Wednesday, which culminated in the attack on Shayna Baszler. She said that it was purposed at sending a message to Shayna and Becky, who would do well not to overlook her again.

She then turned her attention to Nikki Cross, who she would be facing next. For Bayley, every match is personal, and she would enjoy dashing Cross’ dreams of competing at Survivor Series. Bayley might even decide to join Team SmackDown after beating Nikki.

.@itsBayleyWWE is ready to lay the #SMACKDOWN to @NikkiCrossWWE… RIGHT NOW! @SashaBanksWWE pic.twitter.com/Yr5BjYnvQ8

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 16, 2019

Sasha Banks chimed in to say that she was so confident in Bayley’s chances of winning the match that she wouldn’t even bother accompanying her down to the ring. Famous last words if I ever heard them.

The substance of these promos weas generally fine. But they were just delivered so lifelessly, with barely a glimmer of personality. They were simply boring, in truth.

The Takeover Continues

Barely had Bayley’s match with Nikki Cross gotten underway then Shayna Baszler jumped the barricade. Bayley tried to escape through the crowd, but was cut off by Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai, Mia Yim and Rhea Ripley. They clocked the SmackDown Women’s Champion, before tossing her back to the ringside area.

🎶Guess who's back? Back again. 🎶 #SurvivorSeries #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/9nKC5PoGOh

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 16, 2019

While Baszler looked on from inside the ring, Sasha Banks blindsided her from behind. How do all these people keep sneaking about without anyone noticing?

As if to make a mockery of that notion, the entire women’s locker room somehow magically materialised as soon as the four NXT invaders hit the ring. They had somehow set aside their personal squabbles long enough to coordinate a group entrance through the crowd to fend off the outsiders.

Once they had dispatched of the NXT contingent, Michael Cold triumphantly yelled: “The SmackDown women have held the ring!” As if it were some magical fortress that bestows powers onto whomever stands inside it. This was all a bit contrived for my liking.

You want the spotlight so bad, @WWENXT? You got it.#SmackDown's @SashaBanksWWE @NikkiCrossWWE @CarmellaWWE & @DanaBrookeWWE vs. #WWENXT's @RheaRipley_WWE @TeganNoxWWE_ @MiaYim & @DakotaKai_WWE RIGHT NOW! #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/bzkn2S9YvF

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

And then Sasha Banks challenged Nox, Kai, Ripley and Yim to an eight-woman tag match, because she suddenly felt an unbreakable bond with the women she has spent months belittling.

NXT is still just the Developmental Brand 

So Banks partnered with Carmella, Dana Brooke and Nikki Cross to take on Dakota Kai, Tegan Nox, Mia Yim and Rhea Ripley.

I have to admit that I did not see this particular match coming at the beginning of the night. But I’ll begrudgingly take it as long as the NXT women are made to look good. Because in both storyline and real life, that foursome is (respectfully) far better than the blue brand’s representatives.

OUR turf, OUR rules. Try again next week, @WWENXT. 👋#SurvivorSeries #SmackDown @SashaBanksWWE @NikkiCrossWWE @CarmellaWWE @DanaBrookeWWE @DakotaKai_WWE @RheaRipley_WWE @TeganNoxWWE_ @MiaYim pic.twitter.com/TxbEwi4UuZ

— WWE (@WWE) November 16, 2019

But, of course, that didn’t happen, as a frenetic period was capped off by Nikki Cross hitting a swinging neck breaker on Dakota Kai for the win. The NXT women tried to continue the fight, but Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville ran down to chase them off.

Because NXT can never have anything. They’re just minor inconveniences at this point.

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Overall Rating for the Show (From best to worst: Smacknificent, SmackTastic, Smack Bang in the Middle, SmackDowner and A Smack in the Face)

This was a thoroughly boring edition of SmackDown for long stretches. In particular, the promo work (with one notable exception) was abysmal. Bayley and Sasha Banks were utterly lifeless when given an opportunity to sell their personalities and motivations. Ziggler and Roode reverted to being cartoon sidekicks. And Baron Corbin unforgivably introduced the world to a man in a dog costume.

Compounding the issue was the generally substandard wrestling on display, with only New Day vs. The Revival impressing to any degree. But even that could’ve been rescued had the NXT Takeover storyline been meaningfully advanced. What we got instead was a cobbled together main roster team with varying ability easily dispatching four of NXT’s best.

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If the developmental contingent wins at Survivor Series, it won’t place them on equal footing with their Raw and SmackDown counterparts. It will just be another example of hapless 50/50 booking, with one side being clearly undermined over an extended period, only to pull out a sudden and meaningless victory.

If not for Daniel Bryan, this would be an entirely wasted episode of SmackDown. And I can’t even remember how often I’ve said that in recent weeks. But his feud with The Fiend – and all the layers that come with it – is incredibly compelling. Regardless of the outcome at Survivor Series, the direction of Bryan’s character alone makes the show must-see.

But that doesn’t ensure that it will be good. And this week certainly wasn’t. So with that said, last night’s edition of SmackDown was a SmackDowner.

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• November
• review
• Smackdown
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