As WWE’s latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown is set to feature matches like Roman Reigns vs. Baron Corbin & New Day vs. The Revival for the Tag Titles.
Ooh, it’s the first of the month! And tonight, we are diving in head first into the first SmackDown of November. By the same sword, we are also diving into the very first televised product WWE is offering since last night’s Crown Jewel Pay-Per-View event. Whether you saw it, passed on it, boycotted it, or just generally have ill feelings about the whole Saudi Arabian situation as so many others do, we must acknowledge the PPV as actual canon and not some regular televised house show.
The reason being because SmackDown’s own Bray Wyatt (aka The Fiend) defeated Raw’s Seth Rollins to win the red brand’s top prize, the Universal Championship. Yeah, the WWE Draft was only about two weeks back and already, we have some controversy mucking up balance between the brands. And just in time for Survivor Series, where all of the brands – Raw, SmackDown, and now we know, NXT – will go head to head (well, now head to head to head) to establish itself as the top brand).
Before we officially get the road to Survivor Series underway, we should expect some fallout over Bray Wyatt’s win, but first, we have some other things to look forward to tonight. Specifically, some matches that were booked well in advanced last week.
Let’s kick this preview off with a match that was set up right after the last episode of SmackDown went off the air.
Roman Reigns vs. Baron Corbin
Ever since becoming WWE’s latest King of the Ring, Baron Corbin has demanded respect from the entire roster, and his latest target has been Roman Reigns, demanding The Big Dog to bow to his feet last week during the show’s opening promo. Instead, it was the former Universal Champion who humbled the king by beating his team in a Six Man Tag Team match.
Well, humbled may be a strong word. If King Corbin truly felt humbled from the beating he endured last week, maybe he would not have beaten Reigns up last week after the show. Just a thought.
That’s right, in case you missed it, on FS1’s post-SmackDown show, WWE Backstage, Roman Reigns spoke to the show’s panel via satellite from the locker room right after his main event, and in mid-sentence, he was blindsided by King Corbin, who pounded him with his scepter. Now, tonight, the two heavyweights duke it out to settle the score.
But don’t expect their dust to settle quite yet. While they’ve faced off plenty of times in the past, this latest iteration is still early into their feud. Not one to toss their eggs into one basket immediately, don’t expect WWE to deliver a clean finish to wrap up the feud so soon.
Knowing them, I can imagine Reigns nearly getting the upper hand before receiving another scepter shot to the gut for the DQ win as Corbin stands tall over him in defeat.
Winner (By DQ): Roman Reigns
Miz TV, with special guest Bray Wyatt
This is going to be an interesting segment. Quite frankly, it’s one I’m most excited to see just out of curiosity for how WWE will pull it off. Since his 2019 rebranding as a maniacal puppet show host, Bray Wyatt has never seen the inside of the ring. He’s entered it as The Fiend countless times, but we’ve never seen this sweater wearing looney toon step in the ring himself, especially since WWE have always made a point to mention him and The Fiend are separate entities.
With that last little tidbit in mind, now that The Fiend is the Universal Champion, will we see Bray holding the Universal Championship, or will he act oblivious that he is even champion?
If I had to guess how any of this will go down, I’d assume Miz enters the ring waiting for his guest, then Bray pops up on the titantron via satellite from his Fun House (perhaps turning it into an episode of Firefly Fun House), and he is without the title in his possession. He does his usual schtick being jolly and telling us how “The Fiend never forgets,” and then suddenly, the lights go out.
That’s when The Fiend enters the ring (with his title) and destroys The Miz, just as Bray did so many years ago during his Wyatt Family days. In my head, that’s most likely to happen, but I could be wrong. Happy to be surprised. Either way, I’m genuinely excited for this one.
Prediction: Miz Gets Mandible Clawed to Death
Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke, and Carmella vs. Fire & Desire and Bayley
Not much story to tack onto this one. If anything, it is just a way to progress the ongoing title feud between Nikki Cross and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. Last week, Cross picked up some momentum by defeating Mandy Rose in singles action (and fending off her pal Sonya Deville in the process by herself).
Now, the two women lock horns once more, but this time, backup arrives in the form of Dana Brooke and Carmella for Nikki and Deville and Bayley taking Rose’s corner. Plus, one would have to assume Bayley’s own buddy, Sasha Banks, may be lurking in the background somewhere.
Not much to say here other than I envision Nikki Cross getting the win on either Rose again, or pinning Deville. It could easily be Bayley pinning Brooke or Carmella as well, but with Bayley being the champion and being attached to that belt for as long as she has, she doesn’t need as much building up as Cross needs. While Bayley could use a win to highlight her new attitude, Cross needs the win more to build credibility.
If anything, I would be surprised if Bayley bails on Rose and Deville, since her only real allegiances at the moment are to Sasha Banks and the title around her waist.
Winner: Team Nikki
The Revival (c) vs. The New Day – SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Finally, we have a match that would fit right at home as the main event of any TV card. The New Day and The Revival progress their seemingly neverending rivalry with a title match. As some readers may recall, The New Day pinned the champions a couple weeks back during an Eight Man Tag Team Match. That was enough to earn them a title shot, but the champs got payback when after New Day suffered a loss to Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler last week, Revival attacked them after the match.
I can see this one going either way. I can see The Revival retaining just as easily as I can imagine The New Day winning their sixth Tag Team Championship, especially weeks after Kofi Kingston lost his WWE Championship; WWE might want to put some new gold around his waist. But instead of choosing one of these teams, let’s not forget there’s an Option C: no one wins.
Maybe I’ve gotten too cynical with WWE’s booking of No Contest finishes so frequently, but above all else, I can’t help but feel like Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler would be lurking in the background. Again, they beat the #1 contenders last week. Technically, as typically booking like this states, they were owed a title match but didn’t get it.
So maybe, they attack New Day and The Revival halfway into the match demanding their own title shot. Then, at a later date (Survivor Series? Or the next SmackDown?), we get a Triple Threat Tag Team Match for the gold.
Or maybe, and this is just a shot in the dark here, maybe a team from NXT (Undisputed Era?) do a bit of traditional Survivor Series season run-ins to highlight the fact that NXT will have its presence known for the first time at Survivor Series. Hell, why stop at Undisputed? Maybe we get a horde of NXT stars invading?
Either way, just don’t be surprised if we don’t get a clear winner tonight.
Winners: Nobody (No Contest)