WWE SmackDown on November 03 aired live from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In fact, the show was taped a week ago, so it was the same arena as last week. It was a go-home show for WWE Crown Jewel.
Roman Reigns and LA Knight came face-to-face for the last time before their match in Saudi Arabia.
Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul had a weigh-in segment.
Bianca Belair and Kevin Owens were in action on the show.
Donnybrook rules match, and much more were scheduled.
Let’s discuss everything that happened on Friday Night SmackDown just a day before Crown Jewel.
LA Knight and Roman Reigns face off
LA Knight opened the show. He grabbed a mic and talked about his opponent, Roman Reigns. He claimed he will take everything Roman had for the past three years and reminded fans of how BFT took out Reigns last week.
Roman Reigns came out and said that he appreciates how Knight has got fans behind him. Roman informed him that The Tribal Chief is a megastar and has made WWE a billion-dollar company by taking it to the next level.
Knight said that he isn’t here to finish anything, but he will start the LA Knight era. A brawl seemed to break out, but Nick Aldis, with many referees, prevented that.
Grades: B+
Analysis: LA Knight is the hottest star in the company right now, and starting with him was a wise move.
This was a decent segment that felt necessary. Knight built himself as a serious challenger for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Roman can make everyone look better only by his facial expressions.
Singles Match
Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory
Kevin Owens and Austin Theory’s last week backstage interaction made a match between the two. Grayson Waller joined the commentary team. The match featured and, early on, was controlled by Owens. Rolling Thunder blockbuster by Theory got a near fall. In the end, Avalanche Fisherman Buster stumbled Theory, followed by a pop-up powerbomb. KO stares at Waller. A Stunner got the win for Owens.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Grades: C
Analysis: The match could be more fun of a match. The crowd was not much invested in the match. Owens was getting good pop, but Theory mostly failed to grab any reaction from the fans in attendance. Looks like we will be getting Waller against Owens soon.
Backstage: Bianca Belair was interviewed backstage, talking about her long history with Bayley. Damage CTRL attacked her.
Nick Aldis brought things to peace.
Logan Paul was seen backstage with Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits. Lashley and Co. praised Logan for taking a fight with Mysterio.
Lashley shook hands with Paul and told The Street Profits to take what they wanted.
Non Title Tag Team Match
Charlotte Flair and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven
Shotzi got Charlotte as her mystery partner as they faced Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. Blackheart started the things for her team but got dominated.
She tagged The Queen in, who started with a flying crossbody and chops. Charlotte got the win after a Big Boot.
Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn watched the proceedings closely from backstage.
Winners: Charlotte Flair and Shotzi Blackheart
Grades: D
Analysis: WWE has continued to show their Women’s Tag Champs week. Green has a lot of potentials to make these Titles worthy, but WWE Creative does not seem very interested. The Champions barely get wins on the weekly shows. Some serious booking is required for these titles.
John Cena roasts Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman entered the arena. Heyman talked about how John Cena will end as he has problems with Bloodline.
He said Roman Reigns called the shots and handed the responsibility to The Enforcer. Sikoa grabbed the mic and said that they were not there to talk to these people. They will talk to John Cena.
The GOAT Cena arrived to a huge pop. Cena roasted Solo’s promo skills. He called him a bargain basement Taz and said that Solo has a job because of Roman Reigns.
Grades: B
Analysis: John Cena is an absolute GOAT on the mic. He delivered his words and cooked Sikoa in 90 seconds.
It’s still challenging to bring a good fight at Crown Jewel for both competitors, as Cena hasn’t wrestled in a singles match in years.
Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Tag Team Match
Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly
Brawling Brutes battled against Pretty Deadly in a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match. It was a great match at a good pace.
Brawling Brutes attacked their opponents on the stage and got the early advantage. One spot featured a Boston Crab from Holland and an Ankle Lock from Butch simultaneously.
There were near falls. Holland slammed Prince through the table. Butch delivered a Brogue Kick (shades of Sheamus) to Kit Wilson but a near fall again.
In the end, Wilson laid out Holland into barrels. Inside the ring, an avalanche Spilt Milk by Pretty Deadly on Butch through the table got the win.
Winners: Pretty Deadly
Grades: A+
Analysis: It was an excellent bout that brought out “This is Awesome” chants from the crowd. Pretty Deadly has been building well on track, and they seem to be destined for Gold at some time in the near future.
Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul Weigh-In
Weigh-In happened next, where Logan Paul weighed at 213 pounds and Mysterio at 175 pounds. Logan Paul trash-talked about Rey and disrespected the mask. Paul patted Rey’s head, and Mysterio slapped him on the face. Referees stopped the brawl but not before Mysterio hit Logan with the microphone as a nod to the recent face off he had against Dillon Danis.
Grades: C
Analysis: This got things hyped enough for the Crown Jewel for their US Title match.
Singles Match
Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
The main event featured a bout between old rivals Bayley and Bianca Belair. Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai were barred from ringside by Nick Aldis.
The match began at a good pace. Delayed Vertical Suplex and Handspring Moonsault didn’t do the job for Belair.
Bayley hit a Stunner followed by a Knee Trembler to take control. Ultimately, we saw a hair whip and a backbreaker rack from The EST, followed by KOD for the win.
Bianca made a statement by hitting KOD at ringside onto the commentary table.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Grades: B
Analysis: Women’s main event was not that much of a great move by Triple H. Roman was on the show and could have been in the main event.
The match was good between Bayley and Bianca. However, an Iyo Sky appearance was missed there.
It was overall a good show, and enough hype has been created for the Crown Jewel premium live event in Saudi Arabia.
