WWE SmackDown successfully responded to an action-packed Monday Night Raw on Oct. 30 last night with more Survivor Series focus.
As both brands prepare to do battle, last night’s WWE SmackDown saw a more personal side of the upcoming battle with Raw and three more members of Team SmackDown were announced, including its team captain.
SmackDown countered Team Raw’s momentum successfully and more intrigue continues to build for not only Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown at Survivor Series, but the entire show in general. There were several key takeaways from last night so with that being said, let’s take a look at five takeaways from the Oct. 31 edition of SmackDown.
Photo by WWE’s Twitter
5. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin’s Tag Team Championship Opportunity Comes at Inopportune Time
The SmackDown tag team division has been on fire over the past few months with the emergence of The Usos as the team to beat. Their feud with The New Day changed the game among tag team wrestling in the WWE and established them as arguably the best tag team in the WWE today.
Following a win over The New Day inside Hell in a Cell, new challengers were set to be determined for The Usos and their SmackDown Tag Team Championship. That opportunity was earned by the recently-formed tag team of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin on the SmackDown following the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
The interactions between The Usos and Gable and Benjamin have been limited over the past few weeks, but a backstage interaction last night told us that the teams will battle on next week’s SmackDown for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. Gable and Benjamin have their tag team title shot, but it’s coming at an inopportune time in the grand scheme of things.
With Survivor Series being the sole focus of the WWE right now, Gable and Benjamin don’t get a marquee enough opportunity at the gold and their title shot is being overshadowed by Survivor Series and the buildup towards it. Not to mention, it seems rather predictable that they won’t defeat The Usos in large part to further maintain The Usos vs. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose at Survivor Series.
Gable and Benjamin deserve an opportunity to prove they’re a legitimate tag team threat, but it’s coming in the midst of a pay-per-view buildup that takes away much of the intrigue in their match.
Sin Cara on WWE SmackDown. Credit: WWE.com
4. Baron Corbin vs. Sin Cara Feud Takes Positive Step
The most random and out of left field feud on SmackDown over the past few weeks has been United States Champion Baron Corbin and Sin Cara. Sin Cara had not been seen on WWE TV in a long while, but he all of a sudden got thrust into a program with the continuing to develop U.S. Champion.
As you might imagine, the feud got off to a rocky start with many questioning why the WWE has decided to go forward with it. But on last night’s SmackDown, the feud got a needed momentum boost that has changed the complexion of the feud. Corbin’s usual heelish ways got in his way last night, much to his own dismay.
In yet another match with Sin Cara for the third straight week, Corbin attempted to take off the mask of Sin Cara, which incensed the luchador. The match ended without a prototypical finish due to Sin Cara attacking Corbin on the outside and chasing him off throughout the crowd. It was the first time since the feud started that you actually seemed interested in it.
In what was a lackluster feud the previous two weeks, Sin Cara’s newfound aggression raised a few eyebrows among the WWE universe. While many will claim an up and coming top heel in Corbin should not be running from Sin Cara, it brings the intrigue in the feud up a notch and Corbin can still get his momentum in the feud in the weeks to come.
In what seemed like an apathetic feud to the majority of the WWE universe, Corbin vs. Sin Cara might have something to offer after all.
Photo by WWE.com
3. Bobby Roode Has His First Standout Match on the Main Roster
The Glorious Bobby Roode has earned a reputation over the years as a very talented performer and someone who has star written all over him. His time in TNA and NXT further developed that stance and since joining the main roster, he has shaken up SmackDown.
But since joining the blue brand, his feud with Dolph Ziggler has had its ups and downs. The two’s chemistry in the ring hadn’t quite hit on all cylinders, but last night changed all of that. In a 2-out-of-3 Falls match to determine who would join Team SmackDown at Survivor Series, the two broke through with a very good match.
With a lot of fast-paced, up-tempo action, Ziggler got the first fall. But Roode answered and got the second fall to tie things up at one all. The third and final fall saw the most action and even though most thought Roode would win, the match was going so well that there was enough doubt to make you second guess yourself.
In the end, Roode got the win and advances to Survivor Series as a member of Team SmackDown. This was by far Roode’s best match since joining the main roster and Ziggler helped make Roode look great, which has been a trait of Ziggler’s for years. The Glorious One looks great enough as it is, and last night made him look even greater and he is definitely in line for bigger things in the future on the blue brand.
SmackDown has something glorious with Roode and his future on Tuesday nights is getting brighter every week.
Photo by WWE.com
2. Shinsuke Nakamura Defeating Kevin Owens Sets Pieces in Place for Potential Deception at Survivor Series
Kevin Owens’ quest to make SmackDown the Kevin Owens Show has consumed the blue brand’s top heel over the past few weeks. With the added addition of Sami Zayn by his side, Owens has been running roughshod on Tuesday nights since his feud with Shane McMahon.
Since defeating Shane O’Mac inside Hell in a Cell with the assistance of Zayn, KO has wanted to make SmackDown his show. But with Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown on the horizon at Survivor Series, Owens and Zayn were both hoping to join and lead Team SmackDown to victory so Shane O’Mac would owe them.
But with Zayn’s loss to Randy Orton and Owens’ loss to Shinsuke Nakamura last night, the dynamic duo will not be on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. But this development could lead to a bombshell for the Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown match that would shake everything up for the blue brand.
Given the disdain Owens and Zayn have for Shane, it’s conceivable that they could intentionally cost Team SmackDown at Survivor Series somehow or some way. It’s hard to tell what the WWE has planned for Owens and Zayn in the future, but they could drastically change the outlook of the WWE by costing their own brand due to their frustrations with Shane O’Mac.
Brand supremacy could be an afterthought for the hottest heel duo in the WWE at Survivor Series.
Credit: WWE.com
1. Shane McMahon’s Addition to Team SmackDown Successfully Counterpunches Kurt Angle’s Addition to Team Raw
Raw got a major addition to its team at Survivor Series with Raw GM Kurt Angle now captaining the red brand. But last night’s SmackDown saw a similar fate for its team at Survivor Series with another authority figure joining the fold.
Seeing Angle and Shane McMahon’s confrontations recently have greatly intensified the buildup towards Survivor Series. And last night, Shane O’Mac successfully counterpunched Raw’s addition of Angle by announcing he will be the captain of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. This move was pretty easy to see coming, but it makes the entire match better having Shane in the picture.
Shane’s promo to open up last night’s SmackDown was particularly good with him stating many good points like how SmackDown has always been treated as the B show and has never gotten the respect or opportunities Raw has gotten. This further helps the build towards Survivor Series and makes things even more personal.
This year’s battle for brand supremacy has been handled extremely well up to this point and it’s arguably more intriguing than it has ever been before. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Angle and Shane O’Mac go at it in the ring again? While it probably won’t be King of the Ring 2001-like, it will be great to see these two in the ring together at the same time.
Next: WWE Raw 5 Takeaways From Oct. 30 Show
Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown has never been bigger and it just got bigger with the addition of SmackDown’s daredevil commissioner looking to stand up for his brand looking for respect.