This was an episode of Friday Night Smackdown with a lot of bloodline, like WWE slowly heads towards the PLE Crown Jewel. Jey Uso made a surprise appearance to beg Solo Sikoa to stop messing with The Bloodline and heal his family, before again refusing approaches from Roman Reigns and his brother Jimmy. Solo Sikoa had no time for family feelings as he demanded Roman recognize him as Tribal Chief. Reigns’ refusal earned him The Bloodline’s biggest beating yet.
Cody Rhodes made a valiant attempt to validate the Crown Jewel Championship, which will be the prize for his upcoming Champion vs. Champion match with Gunther. The Motor City Machine Guns made their WWE debut and booked a Number One Contenders Tag Team Championship match against DIY on next week’s show. Piper Niven suffered defeat to NXT’s Lash Legend and Candice LeRae would give way to Tiffany Stratton and enjoy victory with Nia Jax over Bayley and Naomi. Kevin Owens’ actions last week caused him to be banned from this week’s show.
The lineage
Solo Sikoa gives Roman Reigns another beating
With Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline opening the show, the biggest crowd reaction of the night greeted the shock arrival of Jey Uso, ahead of his defense of the Intercontinental Championship on this Monday’s episode of Raw. As Jey made a heartfelt plea to Solo Sikoa to stop breaking up the familystopping only to become the first man to make a threat to Jacob Fatu, it looked like it could be a long night for The Bloodline. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The tone was set by the new leader of The Bloodline, telling Jey Uso and the world that the only way Solo Sikoa will stop is if Roman Reigns recognizes him as his tribal chief until the end of the night. When Roman didn’t relent, Sikoa called in The Bloodline, who emerged from the back with a bloodied and beaten Jimmy Uso. Roman would fend off The Bloodline early on, but Solo Sikoa would hit two Samoan Spikes to Reigns to give him his biggest beatdown yet. The crowd may scream that he sucks, but Solo Sikoa is currently the second most dominant force on SmackDown.
Motor City Machine Guns
A victorious debut from Tag-Team veterans
Same musical theme, same mind-bending action, but a whole new playing field. Detroit, Michigan Motor City Machine Guns are the most respected tag team in TNA history and his arrival in WWE in the twilight of his career is an exciting development. This is a tag team division loaded with talent and an audience that is willing to welcome anyone who has something of value to give. A debut win over former champions A-Town Down Under, leading to a tag team championship opportunity in its second week, is a great start.
Even something as small as the team having a new t-shirt in the WWE store could have made a big splash online, but that didn’t translate to Columbia, South Carolina, like the Motor City Machine Guns only received a lukewarm response in the live environment. Watching Shelley and Sabin having to work the crowd is fascinating viewing, and also presumably why the team was initially expected to debut in NXT. However, MCMG will have an instant chance to make another big impression in their first tag match with DIY to determine the challengers for The Bloodline’s SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
do it yourself
Ciampa and Gargano remind everyone of their skills
It’s been a great few weeks for The Street Profits, but tonight belonged to DIY. Having a very short run as tag team champions before being replaced by The Bloodline fans could be forgiven for forgetting about Ciampa and Gargano lately. Completed by the always impressive Pretty Deadly, this incredible triple threat match was an absolute riot, highlighted by the cooperative moves of Gargano and Angelo Dawkins over Elton Prince and Kit Wilson.
Credit to a very clever ending too. Amidst the carnage, it was easy to tell which member of Pretty Deadly was the legal man. When Montez Ford and Tommaso Ciampa defeated one member of the flamboyant duo, it looked like a double decision was imminent. Instead of, Ciampa pinning the cool Kit Wilson meant a big win for DIY and given the chaotic circumstances, The Street Profits still came out looking like future tag champions. A very entertaining, high-octane match.
Candice LeRae and Nia Jax
A shock in the women’s division
After being informed by commentary that there was drama surrounding the upcoming women’s fight of the night, Nick Aldis revealed that Tiffany Stratton was absent due to illness and left Nia Jax without a partner. Out of left field, new WWE Women’s Speed Champion Candice LeRae offered to step in and partner with the Women’s Champion. The Smackdown GM scheduled the match as soon as it was suggested, but that wouldn’t be the most shocking event of the night.
You never know what’s going to happen in WWE and that’s proven when Candice LeRae scored the pinfall for the win in a match filled with top tier talent including Naomi, Bayley and Women’s Champion, Nia Jax. What this will lead to for Candice is the most intriguing thing for a segment that felt a little padded when Jax’s main focus was Liv Morgan and Crown Jewel.
Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso
The quest to reunite the tribe continues
This was a bad Friday night for Roman on an emotional and physical level. When Jey Uso’s music unexpectedly arrived in South Carolina, hopes were high that this could be the night he returned to his family. Instead, this family case finds itself at a critical impasse, as Jey Uso Emphatically Refused Jimmy and Roman’s Advances This Week. The wounds of the past have not yet been healed and this leaves the Roman Kingdoms in a weakened and vulnerable state.
It’s impressive that WWE is emphasizing that fans accepted Roman back without hesitation, but this lineup hasn’t forgotten what he put them through during his title reign. Roman Reigns took the biggest beating we’ve seen him take this year because he has no friends, and that only makes fans root for him even more. Their devoted followers are being taken along the scenic route to their destination, but when Roman and Jimmy finally get the band back together, it will be transcendent.
Piper Niven
A big loss for fellow Scot
One of WWE’s key initiatives is the continued resurgence of interest in the NXT brand. The brand’s developing talent has enjoyed crossbreeding with its main squad colleagues, and Lash Legend is the latest NXT superstar to look strong in a big win about Piper Niven. But what about the bad Scottish girl?
Over the past six months and under the radar, Piper Niven has flourished in her role as sidekick to crazy Chelsea Green. This defeat was a real blow to Pipersomeone who would certainly be considered a contender for the much talked about mid-card women’s title. Her next match suddenly looks like a Piper Niven must-win situation. Don’t exclude her.
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Michael Cole only missed 3 episodes of television during his time in WWE.
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Jey Uso vs. Jacob Fatu is WresleMania worthy.
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This was Pretty Deadly’s first televised match since August 9th.
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Bless Cody Rhodes. No matter how many wrestling greats he abandons, no one can care about the Crown Jewel Championship.
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Next week’s SmackDown will feature Game 7 of Carmelo Hayes and Andrade, with LA Knight as the Special Guest Referee.
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Kevin Owens posting a video for X is enough to get everyone excited about his upcoming character change.
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Randy Orton was informed by Nick Aldis that his request for a match with Kevin Owens was denied “on top of him.”
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This was Candice LeRae’s first match on SmackDown since July 5th.
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The Motor City Machine Guns were World Tag Team Champions in TNA, New Japan Pro Wrestling, NWA and PWG and are one of the few teams to come out of The Dudley Boyz’s 3D finisher. Welcome to WWE!
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Gunther will be on SmackDown next week for a one-on-one with Cody Rhodes.