– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown episode opens up with a video package.
– We’re live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as the pyro goes off. Michael Cole welcomes us to SmackDown and hypes the WWE Draft. Cole is joined by Corey Graves at ringside.
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
We go right to the ring and out first comes Roman Reigns as the pyro goes off. Greg Hamilton does the introductions. WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins is out next for this non-title match. Rollins also gets some pyro for his entrance. Reigns will be fighting to secure the first Draft pick for SmackDown and Rollins is fighting to earn the first pick for RAW.
Rollins makes his entrance as the announcers hype tonight’s show. The OC vs. The New Day will take place. The bell rings and they lock up. Reigns drops Rollins first with a shoulder. Rollins comes back and takes Reigns down with a headlock, then a quick pin attempt. We get a stalemate as they size each other up. They lock back up and tangle into the corner. The referee breaks them up and Rollins rolls Reigns for a 2 count. Reigns ends up on the floor. Rollins dropkicks him through the ropes. Rollins runs the ropes for a suicide dive but Reigns meets him at the ropes with a forearm.
They trade blocks at the apron and the floor. Reigns return to the ring. Rollins comes back in and gets in Reigns’ face as they have words. Rollins with a big right hand out of nowhere. Reigns rocks Rollins back as the tension builds between the two. Rollins unloads with strikes in the middle of the ring now. Reigns with a big clothesline. Reigns sends Rollins over the top rope to the floor. We go to commercial.
More back and forth after the break. Reigns avoids a Stomp and rolls Rollins up for a 2 count. Reigns powers up for a powerbomb and a 2 count. More back and forth now. Rollins blocks a Superman Punch and goes on to send Reigns to the floor. Rollins with a suicide dive and another shot to send Reigns into the announce table. Rollins brings it back in and springboards at Reigns with a flying knee. Rollins goes to the top and hits a big Frogsplash but Reigns kicks out at 2.
Reigns and Rollins trade more big moves and counters. Rollins goes for a Buckle Bomb, and hits it. Reigns comes right out of the corner with a big Superman Punch and a 2 count. Reigns goes for a Spear but Rollins connects with the big block, a modified Pedigree. Rollins with a 2 count.
The lights suddenly go out and the menacing sound starts up. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt appears from under the ring, via a hole in the middle. Wyatt attacks Rollins with the Mandible Claw and drags him through the mat, under the ring. The lights come back up some and we see Rollins scrambling to get back into the ring. Rollins lays face-down in the ring, recovering as Wyatt peeks up from the hole in the ring. The lights go out and come back on as we see Wyatt standing on the ramp. Wyatt’s laugh echoes around the arena as we go back to commercial.
Winner by DQ: Seth Rollins
– Back from the break and we get a look at the FOX WWE Draft War Room with executives and others going over potential picks. We also get a look at the USA Network Draft War Room.
– The announcers show us a replay of what just happened with The Fiend. It’s confirmed that Rollins won the match via disqualification. RAW will get the first pick. Cole and Graves go over the rules for the 2019 Draft.
– We go to the stage and Stephanie McMahon comes out to the podium to some boos. She announces that RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch is now an official member of the RAW roster. It’s announced that Roman Reigns is staying on SmackDown as well. Stephanie also announces that The OC will remain on RAW – Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and WWE United States Champion AJ Styles. She also announces that SmackDown selects “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. The last pick of the first round sees Drew McIntyre stay on the RAW roster.
– Renee Young and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T are on a panel with Samoa Joe and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. They go over tonight’s first round picks.
King Baron Corbin vs. Chad Gable
We go back to the ring and out comes King Baron Corbin. He cuts a promo taking shots at Chad Gable, then talks about what kind of King he will be coming out of the Draft. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Cole shows us FOX Sports hosts Joe Buck and Troy Aikman hyping the Draft. Corbin wraps his entrance as Chad Gable makes his way to the ring. Hamilton announces Gable as Shorty Gable. We get a look back at their match from last Sunday’s Hell In a Cell pay-per-view, which Gable won.
The bell rings and they go at it. Corbin unloads and sends Gable out to the floor. Corbin follows and sends Gable into the barrier. Corbin breaks the count and scoops Gable but Gable slides out and sends Corbin face-first into the ring post. They bring it back in and Gable takes the leg out. Gable focuses on Corbin’s knee and leg now. Corbin with a knee to the gut after a cheap shot. Gable looks to mount a comeback but Corbin nails a big boot to the face for a 2 count.
Corbin works Gable around the ring now. Corbin plays to the crowd for boos. They end up on the floor again and Gable fights back with punches. Corbin shoves him on top of the announce table. Gable tries to fight back but Corbin chokeslams him on top of the announce table. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Corbin goes for a Deep Six but Gable counters and turns it into a bulldog. Gable launches himself at Corbin in the corner with cannonballs. Corbin rolls to the floor for a breather. Gable follows and sends Corbin over the timekeeper’s area. Gable brings it back in the ring and nails a moonsault from the top. Corbin kicks out at 2. Corbin blocks a rolling German suplex and elbows Gable. Corbin drives Gable into the mat and covers for a 2 count. The referee checks on Gable after the hard landing.
Gable avoids End of Days. Gable hits the rolling German suplex but Corbin kicks out at 2. Gable goes for another German and hits it. Gable keeps Corbin in his control but Corbin blocks another German attempt. Gable blocks a chokeslam and rolls Corbin for a 2 count. Corbin kicks the ankle lock off. Gable locks the ankle lock in now. Corbin goes for the bottom rope but Gable drags him back. Gable with a 2 count. Gable walks right into End of Days in the middle of the ring. Corbin covers for the pin to win.
Winner: King Corbin
– After the match, Corbin stands tall as his music hits.
– Cole sends us to NFL on FOX hosts promoting the WWE Draft.
– We go back to Stephanie McMahon at the Draft podium for second round picks. Randy Orton has joined RAW while Sasha Banks has joined SmackDown. Ricochet is staying on RAW, as is Bobby Lashley. SmackDown has selected Braun Strowman.
– We go back to the panel to discuss the second round picks.
– Cole sends us to a video package on Braun Strowman vs. Tyson Fury for WWE Crown Jewel. We see Strowman backstage on the phone. We also see Fury backstage with a staffer joking around. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get hype for Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez at WWE Crown Jewel.
– We go back to the ring and out comes WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman to the ring.
Heyman give the grand introduction to Lesnar and starts talking about fear. What does Lesnar fear? Re-living the October 2010 UFC Heavyweight Title loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121. Heyman goes on about how Cain conquered Lesnar that night with an unheard of first round TKO. Heyman says Lesnar hasn’t offered a single excuse for that night because he has no excuse. That’s the type of fighter Cain truly is, Heyman says. Heyman brings up how Lesnar easily won the WWE Title from Kofi Kingston last week, then Rey Mysterio came out and forced Lesnar to confront the ghost from his past. Heyman says Lesnar does not fear his fears, he embraces his fears because he conquers his fears.
Heyman goes on and says Lesnar will conquer his fear on October 31 at Crown Jewel. Lesnar will conquer Velasquez, Heyman says. This gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. Heyman says this is not a prediction, it was a… the music interrupts and out comes Mysterio and Velasquez to the stage. Rey says Heyman must have forgotten some footage. Rey shows us a video package with stills from the UFC 121 fight. Cain says he will beat Lesnar again, the he speaks in Spanish some. Rey says Cain commented on how he will give Lesnar a matching scar on the other side of his face at Crown Jewel. Lesnar moves forward but Heyman holds him back as Rey’s music hits. Cain stares at Lesnar in the ring and Lesnar stares back.
The New Day vs. The OC
We go backstage to The New Day with a platter of pancakes – Big E, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. Big E does their usual introduction as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see more of the FOX NFL hosts promoting the Draft. Cole sends us to a video package on WWE’s partnership with Susan G. Komen. The New Day is on the stage now. They bring out two breast cancer survivors and present them with custom women’s title belts. The New Day heads to the ring and out next comes The OC for six-man action – Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and WWE United States Champion AJ Styles.
The bell rings as Gallows starts off with Woods. Gallows immediately levels him with a big boot. Styles and Anderson end up sending Woods into the steel ring steps at ringside as the referee orders Kofi and Big E out of the ring while Gallows taunts them. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and AJ tags in as does Kofi. Kofi unloads and hits the Boom Drop in the middle of the night. Kofi decks Gallows and kicks AJ from the apron. Kofi goes to the top and hits a big crossbody on AJ as Anderson breaks the pin up. Big E runs in and takes out Anderson,s ending him out. Gallows drops Big E. Woods takes out Gallows with a DDT. Fans rally for The New Day. Woods runs the ropes and leaps out, taking down Gallows and Anderson on the floor.
AJ rocks Kofi with a forearm now. AJ springboards in for the Phenomenal Forearm but it’s blocked. Styles blocks the SOS. Kofi blocks the Styles Clash. More back and forth now. Kofi with a dropkick and a block of the Styles Clash as they continue to trade moves. Kofi nails Trouble In Paradise and covers AJ for the pin to win.
Winners: The New Day
– After the match, The New Day stands tall as we go to replays.
– Cole shows us what happened earlier with The Fiend interfering in Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.
– Stephanie McMahon is back at the podium for the third round of the WWE Draft. Alexa Bliss is staying on RAW while Lacey Evans is going to SmackDown. Kevin Owens is going to RAW while SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Revival are staying on the blue brand. Natalya is also staying on RAW.
– We see Charlotte Flair backstage warming up. Back to commercial.
– Back from a break and Stephanie McMahon announces the fourth and final Draft round for tonight. The Viking Raiders are staying on RAW, Lucha House Party is going to SmackDown, Nikki Cross is staying on RAW, Heavy Machinery is staying on SmackDown, and The Street Profits are going to RAW.
SmackDown Women’s Title Match: Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair
We go to the ring for a Hell In a Cell rematch as new SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair comes out. She poses as we go back to commercial.
Back from a break and we get more Draft hype from the NFL on FOX crew. The announcers hype Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel. We go back to the ring and Flair wraps her entrance as we see stills from her title win at Hell In a Cell. Bayley is out next. She stops on the stage as her music also stops. Bayley isn’t smiling tonight. She takes her jacket off and backs up. She picks up an ax handle with blades sticking out of it. She starts slaughtering the inflatable tube men. Cole calls this a complete change in personality for Bayley. Flair watches from the ring as Bayley destroys the signature tube men from her entrance. Bayley marches to the ring now.
The bell rings and Bayley immediately attacks. Flair turns it around and goes to the corner. Flair with a neckbreaker in the corner, sending Bayley to the floor to regroup. Flair follows and launches Bayley into the barrier, then over the barrier. Bayley fights back from the crowd, dropping Flair on the floor. Bayley comes back over the barrier and knocks Flair into the steel steps. Bayley, who is also sporting a new hairstyle tonight, enters the ring and stands tall, playing to the crowd for a mixed reaction. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Flair covers for a 2 count. Bayley turns it around and works Flair over on the ropes now. Bayley drops Flair for a quick pin attempt. Flair fights up and out but Bayley re-applies a headlock and keeps her grounded. Bayley with shots in the corner now. Bayley goes back to the headlock. Flair shoves her into the corner but runs into a kick. Bayley fights from the apron and goes for a neckbreaker over the top rope but Flair shoves her to the floor. Flair launches herself over the top rope, taking Bayley down on the floor.
Flair brings it back into the ring and delivers chops. Flair sends Bayley into the corner and drops her with another chop. Flair with a big suplex. Flair plays to the crowd for a pop. Back and forth in the corner but Flair counters and works on the leg now. Flair drags Bayley to the center of the ring but Bayley grabs the bottom rope. Flair charges with a big boot and kicks Bayley from the apron to the floor.
Flair follows and hits a big moonsault from the top of the barrier as fans pop. Flair brings it back into the ring for a close 2 count. Bayley fights back and kicks Flair’s knee out. They tangle into the corner until Bayley hits a Bayley-to-Belly suplex out of nowhere. Flair still kicks out at 2 and Bayley shows frustration. Flair with a neckbreaker in the corner. Flair sends Bayley face-first into the turnbuckles. Flair goes to the top for a moonsault but Bayley gets her feet up. Flair blocks and applies a Boston Crab. Flair drags Bayley back and goes for the Figure Four but Bayley kicks her face-first into the turnbuckles. Bayley with a 2 count.
Bayley shows more frustration and argue with the referee. Bayley mounts Flair with strikes. Bayley keeps control and goes to the top while Flair is down. Bayley delivers the big flying elbow drop but Flair kicks out just in time. Bayley argues with the referee and gets in his face. Flair take advantage of the distraction and nails Natural Selection. Flair goes for the Figure Four again but Bayley rolls her up for the pin to win the title out of nowhere.
Winner and New SmackDown Women’s Champion: Bayley
– After the bell, Flair immediately sits up and can’t believe it. Bayley takes the title and celebrates as her new theme music hits. Bayley takes the title to ringside and continues the celebration. Bayley brings a mic back in the ring and says something about “bitches” and then says, “Screw all of you!” She tosses the mic and raises the title as her new music resumes. Bayley marches up the ramp with the title as SmackDown goes off the air.
Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.
80s Wrestling Con takes place on Saturday, October 26th in Freehold, NJ at iPlay America. The event features Ted DiBiase, Sgt. Slaughter, Bob Backlund, Paul Orndorff, Demolition, Brutus Beefcake, and more! For Superstars, Attractions, and Ticket information click here.