WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - October 7th, 2022
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Roman Reigns to come face-to-face with Logan Paul on the season premiere of SmackDown
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will preside over the Island of Relevancy on the season premiere of SmackDown. Journeying to meet him face-to-face will be none other than his WWE Crown Jewel opponent Logan Paul! With their Premium Live Event on the horizon, what fireworks will result when they stand toe-to-toe?
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– The WWE SmackDown on FOX season premiere opens live from the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts as Michael Cole welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by new blue brand commentator Wade Barrett.
– We go right to the ring and Samantha Irvin introduces WWE Hall of Famer & Chief Content Officer Triple H, who hits the ring to a big pop from the crowd. He says there will come a time where you believe everything is finished, but that is just the beginning. He welcomes everyone to FOX and to the Friday Night SmackDown season premiere as the crowd pops.
– The music immediately hits as The Bloodline comes to the ring – Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos, Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman, and Sami Zayn. The Bloodline stops at the entrance-way and raises their gold in the air as the pyro explodes. Cole says he has some “Bad News” and then introduces Barrett, who comments on how excited he is to be here and how thrilled he is to be at ringside to acknowledge The Tribal Chief.
We see footage from the recent press conference to announce Logan Paul vs. Reigns for WWE Crown Jewel next month. Cole hypes the match. The Bloodline hits the ring and poses again to more pyro. The music stops and Heyman hands Reigns the mic. He calls on Worcester to acknowledge him. There’s a brief pause until the music hits and out comes Paul to interrupt.
The Bloodline stares Paul down as he takes his time entering the ring. Paul stops on the apron and the crowd reacts with boos and cheers. Reigns says he gets it, there’s a bunch of The Bloodline, but this is Reigns’ show, and that means Paul is his guest. Reigns invites Paul into the ring and says this is a safe space. He wants to hear what Paul has to say but it’s important that he also hears what they have to say. Paul enters and it sounds like a “Logan sucks!” chant breaks out. It could’ve been a “Roman sucks!” chant but Reigns says fans did the same thing to him a few years ago and now he’s the greatest Superstar there is.
Reigns says there’s a lot Paul can learn from them. He calls on Heyman to wise Paul up. Heyman goes on and says Reigns asked him just the other day, who the hell is Logan Paul? Heyman throws a shot at Jake Paul, and says Logan is this generation’s version of WWE Hall of Famers Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper, the outside celebrity who is #1 on all pop culture platforms that WWE brings in to bring more eyeballs to the product, which also means millions of more people to step on the Island of Relevancy and acknowledge Reigns. Heyman goes on with his promo, name-dropping people like Ben Shapiro, Andrew Tate and Jake Paul. He looks ahead to Reigns putting Paul in the hospital, where he can create a bunch of content and admit he was smashed by Reigns at Crown Jewel.
Paul says he can’t argue with that, Heyman really is a wise-man, but Paul has one question if he doesn’t mind. Paul wonders if when Heyman says he will be smashed by the Tribal Chief, if it’s Roman Reigns or Jey Uso. Jey yells at Paul and says he sees what Paul is trying to do. The Bloodline stares Paul down. Jimmy Uso holds Jey back. Fans chant “Uso!” now. Reigns steps to Jey now but Zayn tries to calm things to a pop. Fans chant “Sami!” now. He calls on everyone to take a deep breath for a second. Sami says Reigns is The Tribal Chief and The Head of The Table, and no one is challenging that, Jey did nothing wrong, this is Reigns’ family, the only person doing anything around here is this wannabe, this fake, this YouTuber who wants to be a WWE Superstar, who doesn’t realize he will get smashed at Crown Jewel worse than anyone ever has been smashed ever.
Sami has a few more words for Paul and calls him a giant #2, and says he will end up a #2 stain on the bottom of Reigns’ shoe at Crown Jewel. Sami says when Reigns is done with Paul, The Bloodline will still be here, stronger and more unite than ever… because We The Ones. The Bloodline music starts back up as they all appear to be on the same page again. Paul walks off as The Bloodline stares him down. Paul turns back around and looks on from the stage.
– Still to come, Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet. We go to commercial.
Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet
Back from the break and Solo Sikoa looks on from the ring as Ricochet makes his way out for tonight’s opening match.
Sikoa attacks Ricochet as he hits the ring and is wrapping his entrance. The referee backs them off and we get the bell. Ricochet fights Solo off before he can get his jacket off. Solo drops him with a big right hand.
Sikoa ends up on the floor and Ricochet nails a big suicide dive. Ricochet brings it back in and springboards with a crossbody. Ricochet with the springboard moonsault for a 2 count. Sikoa comes back in from the apron but Ricochet springboards and dropkicks him to the floor. Ricochet goes to fly back out but he stops and poses to stare Sikoa down.
Sikoa stalls some at ringside but comes back in. Ricochet knocks him right back out with a big knee. Sikoa snaps at ringside and throws a fit, hitting the announce table and hitting the floor with a steel chair. Sikoa comes back to the apron and snaps Ricochet’s neck over the top rope. Sikoa rolls back in and goes to work on Ricochet now, whipping him hard chest-first into the turnbuckles.
Solo with a chop in the corner. Ricochet fights out of the corner but Solo umps him to the apron. Ricochet fights back and springboards in but Solo meets him in mid-air with a big right hand. Ricochet lands hard out on the floor, on his neck. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Sikoa has Ricochet grounded in the middle of the ring. Solo rocks Ricochet into the corner but then runs into a kick. They both go down. They get back up and trade strikes. Ricochet mounts offense and nails a hurricanrana to send Solo into the corner. Ricochet with a flying thrust in the corner.
Ricochet springboards in over Solo, then rocks him with a knee to the jaw, then a superkick to the face, and a spin kick to bring Solo to one knee. Ricochet goes to the top for a 450 Splash but Solo catches him in mid-air, then drops him with the Spinning Solo for the pin to win.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
– After the match, Sikoa stands tall as the music hits. We see The Bloodline watching from Roman Reigns’ locker room suite in the back. They’re annoyed by Sami Zayn saying he took Solo under his wing from day one, especially Jey Uso. Sami tells Jey to not be such a hot head. Jey gets even more heated until Reigns interrupts and says Jey has been a hot head their whole lives, and it’s a problem the fact he keeps doing it. Reigns says he doesn’t want it to be his problem anymore, and it’s not because it’s now Sami’s problem.
– Hit Row is backstage and they are excited to be here. They head to the ring and we go to commercial.
– Back from the break and Sami Zayn is walking backstage with The Usos. They come up on The New Day, who cracks jokes about The Bloodline. Sami says we’ll settle this in the ring. The New Day agrees and they walk off. The Usos aren’t happy with Sami getting them into a fight.
Hit Row vs. TBA
We go back to the ring and out comes Hit Row – “Top Dolla” AJ Francis and Ashante “Thee” Adonis with “B-Fab” Briana Brandy. They pose on the apron when a masked man suddenly dropkicks Adonis off the apron. Three masked men now attack Dolla and Adonis, beating them down. B-Fab checks on Adonis and Dolla when Zelina Vega appears on the top rope with a new blonde look. She nails a flying hurricanrana and a knee to B-Fab to take her out. The three masked men continue the assault on Adonis and Dolla as Vega looks on smiling. The three masked men stand with Vega now and remove their masks. It’s Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro.
Vega takes the mic and says she is back, and she did not come alone. Santos takes the mic and says we are Legado del Fantasma, and SmackDown is ours. Be safe, he says. Santos then tosses the mic onto Adonis and they stand tall as the Legado del Fantasma music hits. We go to commercial.
Xia Li and Sonya Deville vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi
Back from the break and Xia Li is already out in the ring with Sonya Deville. The music hits and out next comes Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez. They are riding on Shotzi’s tank and they stop to fire a shot in the air.
Li distracts Shotzi to start, allowing Deville to unload and take control. Deville with an early 2 count. Li tags in for a big high knee in the corner. Li dumps Shotzi on her head with a T-bone suplex. Shotzi kicks out at 2.
Li with more offense. Deville comes back in and drops Shotzi for another 2 count as Raquel makes the save just in time. Raquel finally gets the tag and she runs over Li and Deville at once with shoulders. Raquel with a fall-away slam to Deville, then the twisting Vader Bomb in the corner.
Li attacks Raquel from behind but Shotzi saves her and they take Li out with a double team. Raquel with the Texana Bomb to Deville for the fairly easy pin to win.
Winners: Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi
– After the match, Shotzi and Raquel stand tall as fans cheer them on.
– The announcers hype tonight’s big main event for the WWE Intercontinental Title. We see The Brawling Brutes backstage getting riled up. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a video package for the Extreme Rules match between Ronda Rousey and SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan.
– They aired a new White Rabbit teaser that hyped a reveal for Extreme Rules tomorrow night.
– We go back to the ring and out comes Karrion Kross and Scarlett with their unique entrance.
Kross stands tall in the middle of the ring to wrap his entrance while the red lights are shining down, but we suddenly see Drew McIntyre standing behind him. Fans go wild as Drew suddenly attacks Kross from behind. Drew beats Kross down and puts the strap on him but security rushes in to stop him and pull him out of the ring.
McIntyre, with the strap around his own wrist as well, fights off the security and lays them out at ringside. Drew launches one guard across the floor with an overhead suplex. Kross gets to his feet at ringside and yanks Drew into the ring post, and again, and a third time. Kross then whips Drew with the strap as Scarlett looks on from the ring. Kross with another lashing across Drew’s bare back as fans boo. Kross whips Drew some more and leaves him laying at ringside.
The music starts back up as Kross and Scarlett back up the ramp, looking on at Drew while he’s down. We go to replays. Drew is up on his feet now but he’s hurting. We go back to commercial.
– We hear from The Viking Raiders but it’s dark and hard to see them. They say fools have confused their absence for weakness, but they have been watching, waiting and growing stronger. A woman starts speaking and says when the Gods speak, they listen. She says they obey and Valhalla awaits. Could this have been Sarah Logan?
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos and Sami Zayn vs. The New Day and Braun Strowman
We go back to the ring as Sami Zayn and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos come out – Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. Out next comes The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. They stop on the stage and the music hits before Braun Strowman makes his way out to a pop. We’ve now got a six-man match.
Woods and Zayn star things off. Zayn drops Woods with a shoulder, then stops to point his finger in the air. Woods with a headlock now. Woods drops Sami with a shoulder. Kofi tags in and nails a springboard clothesline for a close 2 count on Sami. Cole thought that was a 3 count.
Jey tags in and he yells at Sami as Sami limps to ringside. Kofi dropkicks Jey. Woods runs in and they double team Jey, sending him to the floor. The New Day runs the ropes to leap to the floor, taking both of The Usos out. Zayn helps Jimmy up and then helps Jey up but Jey shoves him away. Jey rants about not wanting Sami’s help as we go back to commercial.
– Back from the break and announced for next week’s SmackDown is Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn and LA Knight vs. mån.sôör.
– Cole sends us to tonight’s Progressive Match Flo video to look at recent happenings between the leaders of Imperium and The Brawling Brutes.
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WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Sheamus vs. GUNTHER
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and The Brawling Brutes are out first – Sheamus with Ridge Holland and Butch. They stop on the stage and Sheamus sends his stablemates back to the back. The Celtic Warrior heads to the ring and poses as Cole hypes the Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match between Imperium and The Brawling Brutes at WWE Extreme Rules tomorrow night. A remixed theme hits and out next comes Imperium – WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. They stop to pose on the entrance-way as Sheamus looks on. The Ring General motions for Kaiser and Vinci to return to the back. We get formal ring introductions from Samantha Irvin.
Cole mentions GUNTHER’s time with PWG and PROGRESS Wrestling. The bell hits and they start brawling in the middle of the ring with big strikes. GUNTHER with a chop, Sheamus with a clothesline. GUNTHER rolls to the floor for a breather.
Sheamus follows and stays on him but GUNTHER slams him. Sheamus sends the champ into the barrier, and again into the other side. Sheamus launches GUNTHER into another area of the barrier, then stands tall at ringside and yells out for a pop as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and GUNTHER is bleeding from the mouth. Sheamus counters and nails a flying clothesline from the top. GUNTHER is dazed but manages to get a boot up when Sheamus charges. Sheamus catches GUNTHER with a backbreaker. Sheamus stands tall and poses to cheers. Sheamus goes for 10 Beats of the Bodhrán but GUNTHER blocks the first beat.
Sheamus keeps fighting as they tangle on the apron now. GUNTHER with a big chop, then he shoves Sheamus back into the ring post. GUNTHER grabs both of Sheamus’ arms and yanks him into the turnbuckles from the apron. Sheamus falls to the floor and clutches his chest. The referee counts while GUNTHER yells at Sheamus from the ring. Sheamus comes back in but GUNTHER drops him with an uppercut. Sheamus with a big right hand. They trade big strikes in the middle of the ring now. GUNTHER brings Sheamus down with a Sleeper, with his legs wrapped around him.
Sheamus looks for the bottom rope. He powers up with GUNTHER on his back. GUNTHER slides off and nails a chop. Sheamus with a right hand, GUNTHER with a chop. They continue trading big strikes in the middle of the ring now as fans go along with them. GUNTHER with a big German suplex in the middle of the ring. We go back to commercial with Sheamus flat on his back in the middle of the ring.
Back from the break and GUNTHER nails Sheamus with a forearm while holding him by the arm. GUNTHER with another big punch, and several more. Sheamus takes all the strikes and yells out, then fires back as fans rally. GUNTHER with a Sleeper but Sheamus backs him into the corner and unloads with back elbows. Sheamus beats GUNTHER down in the corner now.
Sheamus with 10 Beats of the Bodhrán now but he continues delivering the beats as the fans count along. He delivers more while GUNTHER is down on the bottom rope. Sheamus stands tall as fans cheer him on. Sheamus puts GUNTHER on his shoulders and slowly climbs up for a super White Noise. He nails it but GUNTHER kicks out just in time. GUNTHER kicks away a Cloverleaf attempt, then nails a big flying dropkick.
GUNTHER with the powerbomb in the middle of the ring. Sheamus kicks out and GUNTHER can’t believe it. GUNTHER focuses on Sheamus’ neck now, man-handling him while he’s down. GUNTHER goes to the top for the flying splash and he nails it to the back of the neck. Sheamus kicks out. Both men are down now as the referee checks on them and fans continue cheering.
Sheamus with the Irish Curse backbreaker. Sheamus with a Cloverleaf now. The referee waves it off and says GUNTHER did not tap out, he was just trying to grab the bottom rope. Sheamus can’t believe it, he’s furious at the call. Vinci and Kaiser run down to ringside to rally for GUNTHER now. Butch and Holland then run down and attack Kaiser and Vinci. The two tag teams brawl at ringside. Sheamus nails a big pump kick to GUNTHER to put him back down.
Sheamus calls for the Brogue Kick now but Kaiser handed the Shillelagh to GUNTHER, and he levels Sheamus with it to block the Brogue. The referee did not see the weapon strike. GUNTHER covers Sheamus for the pin to win and retain to boos.
Winner: GUNTHER
– After the match, the music hits as GUNTHER is handed his title belt. He is still laying on top of Sheamus, slow to recover, while Kaiser and Vinci continue brawling with Butch and Holland at various places around the arena. We go to replays. GUNTHER stands tall with the Intercontinental Title belt in the air as the SmackDown on FOX season premiere goes off the air.
