WWE SmackDown: Results, Highlights and Grades for Oct. 18

In another night of WWE SmackDown action on the FOX network, we open with a title match between Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura. Then, a number one contender’s match for Bayley’s Women’s Championship.

As promised over social media some days back, WWE SmackDown kicks off with an Intercontinental Championship match between champion Shinsuke Nakamura and challenger Roman Reigns. Nakamura’s manager, Sami Zayn, is on commentary.

Lock up to start. Stale mate into the corner. Ref has to break them up. They meet in the middle of the ring once more where Naka kicks and knees The Big Dog to the ground. Roman back into this, following with bouncing Nakamura’s head into the turnbuckle. They trade strikes until Roman hits a Samoan Drop for a two count.

Zayn consoles his client at ringside. Roman attempts a Drive By Kick, but Zayn pulls his client out the way, allowing Naka to kick Roman in the head. Roman’s laid out, leading us into our first commercial break.

Back from the break, Naka has Roman in a rest hold and Zayn is back at the commentary table. Roman breaks out with elbows to the neck. Naka tries to recover by leaping off the middle rope, but meets an uppercut from Roman. Comeback spot from the babyface. Meaning the usual running clothesline, series of clothesline in the corner, then a big boot. Roman attempts a Superman Punch, but gets caught with an Armbar in mid-air, then turns it into a triangle choke.

Roman struggles to get to the ropes, but is able to get to his feet for a deadlift powerbomb to break the hold. Roman sets up a Spear, but Zayn attempts a distraction, allowing Naka to take advantage, specifically with a German suplex.

Naka sets up a Kinshasa, but catches a Superman Punch instead for a near fall. Roman sets up one more Spear, only for Baron Corbin to attack from behind with his king’s scepter, causing a DQ. The trio beat up on Roman before the latter gets saved by a Daniel Bryan run-in. But the trio benefit from a two on one advantage. The heels walk away leaving the babyfaces laying in the ring.

Winner by DQ: Roman Reigns (Naka still champion)

Grade: B-

There’s been way too many non-finishes in WWE lately. It’s starting to become a weekly, frustration thing. Second week in a row we opened with a non-finish. But before that, as has been the case just about every time, this was a really good match. _So_ good. I could easily argue this to be a solid B (maybe even a notch or two away from B+), but I’m starting to get burnt out from seeing all these non-finishes week after week. As often as I try to remain optimistic about stuff like this, it’s just too disappointing by now.

The New Day are caught singing backstage before Tucker and Otis confront them to offer making pancakes for them to lift Kofi’s spirits after losing the WWE Championship. Kofi promises he’s fine because he has the power of positivity on his side, but Otis nonetheless arrives with pancake batter on deck. New Day say it’s too soon before their match to eat because they’ll get cramps, but Otis downs all the batter himself.

Afterwards, Kayla Braxton asks Corbin to explain himself for attacking Roman, but Corbin just laughs and walks away.

Shorty Gable vs. Curtis Axel

Before this, they really made/played an entire video package to explain why Gable’s nickname is “Shorty,” as if it wasn’t obvious.

Gable attempts to wrestle, but Axel won’t take him seriously; patting the little fella on the head to start. Axel overtakes Gable early on, but when Gable reverses a Perfect Plex into an Ankle Lock, Axel has no choice but to tap.

After the match, Kayla Braxton interviews Gable in the ring to question him on how he feels about the short jokes, but Gable embraces it and tells the crowd it’s perfectly okay to be who you are no matter who makes fun of him. He chooses to embrace who he is because bullies forced him to look at his insecurities, but he liked what he sees; he accepts it and everyone else should. “I’m Shorty Gable … actually, let’s shorten that … I’m Shorty G.”

Winner: Gable

Grade: D

Perfectly fine squash match. It’s a squash match nonetheless, but it did it’s job in making Gable look good. In the same vain, Gable sold that promo really well. Excellent, surprisingly great promo actually. As goofy at an attempt that was at both an inspiring promo and to explain the “short” nonsense, Gable sold it really well. Extra points to Hufflepuff. Yes, Gable is a Hufflepuff. Obviously.

The New Day and Heavy Machinery vs. The Revival, Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler

Tucker and Dolph do some surprisingly grappling and amateur wrestling to start – even more surprisingly, Tucker has an amateur background – until a frustrated Dolph decks him with a punch. Tucker retaliates by bulldozing right past him. Tucker tags Otis, Bobby tries to make the save, but Otis and Dolph hit stalling suplexes on both men. Then, Big E and Otis hit a double team move.

“Big E and Otis wish-boning Ziggler” is not a sentence I thought I’d ever hear Michael Cole say. Or wanted to ever hear. From anyone. Ever.

Woods gets the tag and hits a suicide dive on the heels. Before we go to a commercial break, Roode and Ziggler hit an assisted spinebuster to lay out Woods.

Back from the break, Dawson has Woods in a headlock, but Woods fights his way back to his corner. Dawson hot tags Dash, but Woods can’t get to his corner. The heels decimate Woods, especially when Zig gets the tag. Both men down after Woods hits a missile dropkick. Otis and Roode get the tag, but the wrecking ball flattens everything and everyone in front of him.

At the finish, Big E makes the tag, puts Dawson onto his shoulder, tags in Woods for the Midnight Hour, and New Day win.

Winners: Heavy Machinery, New Day

Grade: B

Super duper fun, solid tag team match. Maybe I’m biased because I’m a tag team guy, but the crowd was extra hot for this one, too, and it helped. Tempted to boost this to a B+.

After that, we learn our main event is Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan vs. Baron Corbin and Shinsuke Nakamura. Bryan reacts backstage in an interview with Kayla Braxton, who asks how he feels going into the match. Bryan acknowledges he doesn’t care about getting beat up or Twitter beefs, but he does care about putting two kings in their place in his first match on Friday Night SmackDown.