The October 6 edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It was a go-home show for the WWE Fastlane Premium Live Event. It was a great show. Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Judgment Day from WWE Raw appeared on Friday Night SmackDown. Charlotte Flair and Asuka established momentum before Fastlane. LA Knight also competed in the show. Let’s talk about everything that went down on WWE SmackDown the night before WWE Fastlane.
LA Knight kicked off the SmackDown
LA Knight entered the arena with a huge pop. But he didn’t get the time to talk about anything as he was interrupted by The Bloodline’s Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa. Paul Heyman praised Knight and called him the next Megastar. Jimmy warns Knight, and both Jimmy and Solo surround the ring. John Cena ran down to save his partner. The Bloodline stepped back, listening to Heyman. Knight challenged Jimmy to a match, which he accepted, much to the displeasure of Heyman.
Grade B+
Analysis
It was a great segment. LA Knight is appearing as a big star in this feud. WWE is slowly building him into the main event scene. Hope so WWE Doesn’t miss any cue regarding Knight and should do an obvious climax of his rise. This story further continued in the main event.
Tag Team Match
Iyo Sky and Bayley vs Charlotte Flair and Asuka
This was a good match and was an excellent utilization of the Women’s division. There were back-breakers and dropkicks. Asuka’s dropkick from the top rope laid down Bayley and Sky and looked brilliant. Asuka and Flair hit a superplex on Bayley. The ending was chaotic as Charlotte accidentally took Asuka out with a big boot. On the other side, Bayley accidentally took out Iyo. Charlotte took the advantage and hit Bayley with a Natural Selection for the win.
Winners: Charlotte Flair and Asuka
Grades B-
Analysis
This match was the last stop before Iyo vs Charlotte vs Asuka at Fastlane for the title. WWE has done enough build, and the result of the match seems quite unpredictable. One thing that is not good by WWE is they are portraying their Champion, Iyo Sky, as a weak champion. Hopefully, she will perform better against more experienced opponents in Charlotte and Asuka.
Singles Match
Rey Mysterio vs Bobby Lashley
Rey Mysterio from LWO competed against the Almighty Bobby Lashley for revenge. It was a great battle between two veterans. There were DDT, moonsault, and senton off the top rope by Mysterio. Lashley blocked the 619. LWO and Street Profits fought at ringside. The distraction led to Lashley hitting a spear on Rey for the win.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Grades B
Analysis
LWO and Bobby Lashley with Street Profits will be in a 6-man Tag Team action on WWE Fastlane. This is expected to be a great match. Street Profits being the heel is a great thing. This also gave us an idea of how great Bobby Lashley and Rey Mysterio’s singles feud would be.
Backstage JD and Bloodline Segment
Bloodline and Judgment Day had a face-off backstage. Rhea Ripley talked business with Paul Heyman. The main purpose of this meeting was to be together. Ripley wanted JD and Bloodline to work together as they almost have similar enemies. This was a done deal, as we saw in the main event segment.
Singles Match
Austin Theory vs Dragon Lee
The problems between Dragon Lee and Austin Theory led to a match on WWE Raw. Theory also mentioned The Rock before the match. It was a good match as both competitors were highly credible in the ring. Grayson Waller was at ringside and provided necessary distractions. There were superkicks, dropkicks, and dives. Dragon Lee’s Liger Bomb was awesome. In the end, Cameron Grimes interfered in the match. He laid out Waller at ringside, and the distraction allowed Lee to win.
Winner: Dragon Lee
Grades B-
Analysis
Dragon Lee had a great debut on the main roster as he defeated former US Champion Austin Theory. WWE showing NXT talents as a big deal on the main roster is a brilliant step. Now, this feud is balanced as Lee also has a partner in Cameron Grimes.
Singles Match
LA Knight vs Jimmy Uso
The main event featured LA Knight battling Jimmy Uso. The match started at a mediocre pace. Knight hit a power slam. The BFT attempt from Knight, but Jimmy wisely rolled away. A superkick from Jimmy Uso laid out Knight. Ultimately, LA Knight hit Uso with the power slam and looked to finish the match. Solo Sikoa interfered, and the match ended with a disqualification.
John Cena ran down the ramp and stood in the ring alongside his partner, LA Knight. Judgment Day arrived. Paul Heyman and Rhea Ripley shook hands, signaling a deal between Bloodline and Judgment Day. As Bloodline and JD are about to attack Knight and Cena, Jey Uso’s music hits, and he joins the face team. Cody Rhodes also comes out to join them. A brawl begins with Jey and Cody laying out others and Solo hitting Cena with a superkick. JD McDonagh was the primary victim in the end. He gets superkicked by Jey, followed by a five-knuckle shuffle and an Attitude Adjustment from John Cena. A Blunt Force Trauma from Knight and Cross Rhodes from Cody Rhodes ended the show.
Winner: LA Knight (via Disqualification)
Grades A
Analysis
It was a star-studded ending to a good show. A mix-up of storylines had fans excited. It also gave us a preview of a potentially highly speculated Survivor Series match, maybe a WarGames match. The hype is great now for John Cena and LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. WWE also completed the final step in building Finn Balor and Damian Priest, defending their Undisputed Tag Team Championships against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. Having Jey Uso appear again on SmackDown was also a good feeling. Solo Sikoa and John Cena’s face-offs confirm their rumored one-on-one match in the future. LA Knight sharing the ring with these bigger stars shows how big star WWE sees him.
Overall, it was an excellent go-home show for WWE Fastlane. There is enough hype and effective build for all the matchups happening on the show. It also raises the question of how Roman Reigns will react to this Bloodline and Judgment Day union.
