WWE SmackDown Recap, Grades & Opinion: October 4, 2019

WWE SmackDown Recap: October 4, 2019

A.K.A. The First One On Fox

Results:

• Charlotte & Becky Lynch def. Bayley & Sasha Banks
• Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke Nakamura goes to a no-contest when The Fiend interferes.
• Kevin Owens def. Shane McMahon in a ladder match; Shane McMahon is now terminated from WWE
• Braun Strowman, The Miz & Heavy Machinery def. Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Randy Orton & A.J. Styles
• Roman Reigns def. Erick Rowan in a lumberjack match
• Brock Lesnar def. Kofi Kingston (c) to win the WWE Championship

Match of the Night: Kevin Owens def. Shane McMahon in a ladder match; Shane McMahon is now terminated from WWE

It has finally happened. Kevin Owens did what so many of us wanted and ejected Shane McMahon from the WWE. WWE really extended this feud so long that a definitive conclusion seemed like it may not happen. Friday night, it did happen in spectacular fashion. Owens and McMahon had a match at a wild pace, and included a bunch of big spots. McMahon hit a Coast-to-Coast and an elbow drop through a ladder. Owens had a huge Frog Splash through a ladder, and eventually pulled down the briefcase and got to fire McMahon for good.

Three Thoughts:

MMA > WWE, Apparently

Four seconds, and then it was over. The amazing, inspiring WWE Championship reign of Kofi Kingston was extinguished with one F5. Brock Lesnar is again the WWE Champion, and his next challenger seems pretty clear. Before moving on to that, an acknowledgement that Kingston’s reign turned out to be a memorable and impactful one, and he carried the top title well for WWE. Another reign is definitely not out of the question.

Lesnar’s challenger will likely be the debuting Cain Velasquez. The former MMA star recently worked a match for AAA, and was a former UFC Champion who defeated Lesnar in the octagon. WWE has decided to invest in an MMA-based feud, which makes their own product and athletes look inferior. There’s still time to let this play out, but it has left a sour taste in the mouth to start.

New Era, Old Favorites

The first-ever SmackDown on Fox had a good new look to it. It had a new intro and set that were both great. Pyro added to the pomp and circumstance of the show as well. The set is a unique look that was extremely popular on Twitter.

Get a sneak peek at the NEW Friday Night #SmackDown set!!!@FOXTV pic.twitter.com/Q8iZpZltYq

— WWE (@WWE) October 4, 2019

Even with all of the new bells and whistles, the show also relied on some old hands to dial up interest. Legends like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Trish Stratus, Lita and more were called on to get more eyes on the debut. Some legends were scheduled to appear and never did, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, & Sting. One legend in particular had a big role: The Rock.

Rock shared the ring with Becky Lynch and Baron Corbin, and decimated Corbin on the mic. He worked hard to get Lynch over, and the two of them laid the smackdown on Corbin in the ring. It was interesting that WWE had more intergender wrestling, something they have seemingly become more comfortable with recently. Overall, it was a great opening segment for the first SmackDown on Fox.

Fiend on Fox

Bray Wyatt had a solid go-home show for Hell in a Cell. His Firefly Funhouse was interesting, showing a recreation of what will happen to Seth Rollins in their Hell in a Cell match.

Rollins battled Shinsuke Nakamura in a champion versus champion showcase match. Eventually the lights went out, and we all knew that The Fiend would strike. It looked like he may take out Nakamura, but The Fiend struck Rollins once more. The build for their match has been simple, and it is must-see viewing on Sunday.

Brace yourselves, The Fiend is here 😰#SmackDown

(via @WWE)pic.twitter.com/s1grkTgUyh

— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) October 5, 2019

Grade: B

The new look definitely made the show a more interesting watch. With so much happening on the show, some of it definitely felt rushed. It did not feel like a go-home show for a pay-per-view, except for the segments around Rollins & The Fiend. The biggest downer was the WWE Championship match. A common refrain online after the match was that “WWE did Kofi Kingston dirty,” and I can’t disagree with that. Great to see Shane McMahon get fired, though.

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One More Thing:

There were two very strange celebrity appearances on the show. One is that Marshmello became 24/7 Champion, and lost it back to Carmella later on:

EXCLUSIVE: THIS IS NOT A DRILL.@marshmellomusic is your NEW #247Champion! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/arhS0l6WlA

— WWE (@WWE) October 5, 2019

The other is that heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury wanted to catch Braun Strowman’s hands at ringside. Very strange.

CHAOS at ringside!

It looks like @Tyson_Fury wants to get his hands on @BraunStrowman! #SmackDown @FOXTV pic.twitter.com/JPfUNEaC6X

— WWE (@WWE) October 5, 2019