WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - October 21st, 2022

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Logan Paul returns to SmackDown en route to WWE Crown Jewel

Logan Paul will make his SmackDown return tonight. As his clash against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel looming ever closer, Paul will look to build momentum to the biggest test of his career. With The Bloodline having problems within its ranks, can Paul somehow exploit them to gain an upper hand in his contest against The Head of the Table?


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– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX opens live from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio as Michael Cole welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Wade Barrett.

Sheamus vs. Solo Sikoa

We go right to the ring and out first are The Brawling Brutes – Sheamus with Ridge Holland and Butch. They hit the ring and pose as the fans cheer them on. We get a quick message from Bray Wyatt, saying he’s here before the announcers hype a face-off between Omos and Braun Strowman. Out next comes The Bloodline – Solo Sikoa with Sami Zayn and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso.

The bell rings and they lock up, going at it against the ropes. They back off and lock back up, twisting each other by the arm. Sheamus takes control but Solo rocks him with a right hand. Sheamus takes it and nods at Solo. Sheamus strikes back. They trade big strikes in the middle of the ring now. Solo with a chop to the chest.

Sheamus drops Solo with a shoulder. Cole says Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns still has Zayn in charge of The Bloodline to keep Jey in check. Solo fights back and connects with a headbutt. Sheamus blocks a hip toss and levels Solo with a clothesline. Sheamus walks on Solo and keeps him down, then grounds him by the shoulder. Solo comes back and drops Sheamus with a spinning heel kick and Sami cheers him on. Sheamus knocks Solo to the apron.

Sheamus with a shot to the back while Solo is recovering on the apron. Solo blocks 10 Beats of The Bodhrán and keeps fighting. Solo sends Sheamus to the floor, then follows. Sheamus is down clutching his shoulder, sitting with his back against the steel ring steps. Solo charges in with the Umaga/Rikishi splash against the steps, leaving Sheamus laid out. The Bloodline celebrates at ringside as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Solo has Sheamus down in the corner, and he doesn’t look well. Solo charges in with another Umaga splash. Solo wastes some time preparing for another, but this time Sheamus leaps up and meets him with a corner out of the clothesline. Sami encourages Solo to shake it off. Sheamus with corner clotheslines and big forearms now.

Sheamaus goes for White Noise and hits it in the middle of the ring. Solo kicks out at 2. Sheamus is slow to go to the top and Solo cuts him off. Solo rocks Sheamus and climbs up for a super Samoan Drop. Sheamus still kicks out and The Bloodline can’t believe it. Sheamus fights off with elbows to the face to avoid the Spinning Solo. Solo charges but Sheamaus catches him with a one-arm powerslam. Sheamus with 10 Beats of The Bodhrán now while The Bloodline is forced to watch.

Sheamus delivers more than 10 Beats, and continues to club Solo while he’s down. Sheamus plays to the crowd now. Solo side-steps the Brogue Kick, then superkicks Sheamus. Sheamus comes right back with a jumping knee strike. Sami tries to interfere at one point but Holland pulls him off the apron. This leads to The Usos brawling at ringside with Holland and Butch. The Usos end up turning the announce table over on Holland and Butch, trapping them underneath.

Sheamus watches from the top rope, then nails a flying clothesline to the floor when The Usos turn around. Sheamus fights his way back in on Solo. Sami grabs Sheamus’ leg and the referee doesn’t see it. Sheamaus kicks Solo away but Solo kicks his injured arm. Solo then nails the Spinning Solo for the pin to win in the middle of the ring.

Winner: Solo Sikoa

– After the match, Solo stands tall as The Bloodline celebrates. Sheamus is tossed to the floor as The Bloodline continues the attack. Sami and Jimmy have steel chairs. Jey snatches the chair from Sami. Sheamaus is held down with his arm wrapped in a chair on the steel steps. Jey unloads on the chair and Sheamus’ arm with another chair until Sami finally calls him off. Fans boo while Sheamus yells out and clutches his forearm. Holland and Butch are still trapped under the announce table. Officials tell The Bloodline to leave the ringside area.

– Still to come, a message from Bray Wyatt. Back to commercial.

– Tonight’s Progressive Match Flo video looks back at last week how Rey Mysterio came to SmackDown last week, then won a Fatal 4 Way to become the new #1 contender to WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER. We see footage from earlier today with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci approaching Rey backstage. They taunt him and say he has no chance at beating GUNTHER. They say this will be the end of Rey. Rey says this is not the end of anything, actually this is a new beginning for him, and coming to SmackDown is just what he needed. Rey speaks some in Spanish and says he’s not looking for trouble but he doesn’t appreciate being disrespected. Rey asks if either of them have the balls to step in the ring with him tonight. Kaiser accepts and says he will make sure to replenish the disrespect.

– Cole says he hopes to have an update on Sheamus by the end of the night.

– Bray Wyatt is backstage now, pacing around. He says he didn’t get to finish what he was saying last week, but that’s OK because he will now. He used to say all the time how revenge is a confession of pain, and it still is, he still believes that, but he feels like confessing some things to the fans tonight, it could help, so here it goes. Wyatt confesses he has problems, everyone knows he has problems, he’s always had them, it’s not hard for people to see but there’s a few of them, like anger, sometimes it can take him to places he doesn’t want to be, last time it took him to a place he never should’ve come back from, but for whatever reason he did, getting chances most people won’t get, but he also confesses this time he was happy, he was content with just being left alone, OK with it being over. He wanted people to stop saying his name, to leave him the hell alone, but he confesses he’s really glad because he needs the fans, he needed all of them, to pull the spears from his ribs and lift him up. He goes on and says he’s thankful for that. Wyatt’s theme starts to crank up in the background now. Wyatt says someone told him he should do without, and he can now see what this person wants. He knows who you are, what you’re trying to do, what you want, but it won’t work. Wyatt confesses on this journey he will do horrible, horrible things, but he will not feel sorry for them. Wyatt is just a servant now, and he goes where The Circle takes him. Wyatt winks and smirks to end the segment.

– The Bloodline is backstage now. Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso are celebrating. Jey Uso gets onboard but Solo Sikoa seems a bit annoyed. Jey tells him to get hyped up with them. Sami praises Solo and says tonight he sent a message to Sheamus and the rest of the locker room, saying they shouldn’t mess with The Bloodline. Sami says their job here tonight is over. Jey says it’s just getting started because Logan Paul will be here tonight and they need to get him also, complete the mission. Sami says Roman Reigns was specific – do not engage with Paul at all tonight. Sami says Reigns is kinda right because the last thing they want is for Paul to think he’s in their heads. Sami says it wouldn’t be very Uce-y. Jimmy agrees w Sami. Jey hesitates and agrees, but then says he’s a hot head so we will just see what happens by the end of the night, to see what really happens. Jey walks off. Sami says Jey was serious, and Jimmy agrees.

Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville

We go back to the ring and out first comes Liv Morgan. Sonya Deville is out next.

The bell rings and they lock up and Deville takes it to the corner, then backs off. Liv charges but Deville puts her down and laughs. Liv rolls Deville up for 2. Deville drops her with a shoulder and taunts her. They run the ropes and trade counters. Liv with a dropkick for 2.

Liv takes it to Deville but she goes to the ropes and Liv is backed off. Liv sends Deville to the corner and shows off some. They trade counters. Deville with a big knee strike for a 2 count in the middle of the ring. Deville keeps control and slams Liv face-first into the turnbuckles over and over. Deville has words with the referee. Deville slams Liv’s face into the turnbuckles again. Liv just laughs and smiles at her. Liv brawls out of the corner as fans cheer her on.

Liv with a kick to the head. Liv ends up on the apron but Deville knocks her off with a big boot. Liv laughs as she tries to get back to her feet from the floor. Deville looks on from the ring as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and they’re going at it. Liv stuns Deville with a knee and an enziguri. Liv with a high knee in the corner. Liv looks to capitalize but Deville knocks her out of the air with a big knee. Liv kicks out at 2. Liv is launched into the turnbuckles and she goes down. Deville with stiff kicks while Liv is on her knees now. Deville charges again and Liv tells her to bring it. Liv flattens her with another kick for a 2 count.

Deville kneels down and grabs Liv, but Liv is just smiling at her. Deville smacks Liv around but she’s enjoying it. Liv gets up and yells at Deville, telling her to hit her again and bring it. Deville fights but Liv takes her down and delivers punches. Deville retreats to the floor but gets sent into the announce table, then back into the edge of the apron. Liv launches Deville into the barrier as the referee counts.

Liv slams Deville’s face into the steel ring steps over and over at the 8 count. The count continues and the match ends.

Double Count Out

– After the match, Liv smiles at the bell. Liv pulls a bunch of steel chairs from under the ring, tossing them into the ring. Fans want tables now. Deville returns to the ring while Liv starts gathering a bunch of chairs in the middle of the ring. Liv returns to the ring and rocks Deville in the corner, then takes her to the top. Liv with a big superplex on top of the chairs. Liv smiles while crawling to Deville. Liv gets down in Deville’s face as we go to replays.

– Still to come, Omos and Braun Strowman will meet. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and we get a new dark vignette for The Viking Raiders and Sarah Logan. Valhalla Awaits.

– A video package hyping up LA Knight aired earlier.

– We go back to the ring and out comes Braun Strowman to a pop. The Monster of All Monsters hits the ring and stands tall as fans cheer him on.

Braun takes the mic and says look at him – clearly he is not someone easy to miss, so if you have a problem, he’s not hard to find. He heard MVP running his mouth on RAW this week, so let’s get to the point – bring Omos out now so he can look in the eyes of a real monster. Fans pop. The music hits and out comes MVP to the stage, with no sign of The Nigerian Giant.

MVP says at no point has he referred to Braun than anything less than a monster of a man, because that’s what he is. He goes on about how Braun is always the biggest and strongest, until last week when he found himself in the midst of a legitimate giant. MVP is in the ring now. MVP advises Braun to stay away from Omos if he wants fans to continue seeing him as the giant, because he will be exposed if standing near Omos. Braun has heard enough. He tells MVP to have Omos try him at WWE Crown Jewel if he’s so sure.

MVP makes sure this is a challenge. Braun says you heard him. MVP accepts the challenge and says when Omos rag-dolls Braun at Crown Jewel, then… Braun interrupts and says everyone knows he’s more for action than talking. Fans pop. Braun says since MVP is by himself and Omos didn’t show up… MVP says he never said Omos isn’t here. The music hits and out comes Omos down the ramp.

Omos enters the ring and stares Strowman down, towering over him a bit. The Monster of All Monsters steps closer to The Nigeriana Giant, chest-to-chest now. Braun looks up at Omos and talks some trash. Omos shoves Braun out of the ring to the floor. Braun gets up and laughs, a bit shocked at what just happened. Omos and MVP exit the ring to boos from the fans. Braun is fired up now as he yells at Omos from the other side of the ring. Cole asks if Braun has been exposed.

– Cole says Sheamus seriously injured his shoulder earlier in the attack from The Bloodline, and was taken to a local hospital. Cole hopes to have an update later.

– We see how Drew McIntyre crashed into Karrion Kross and Scarlett last week, then beat Kross down. Kayla Braxton is backstage with Drew now. She says upper management isn’t too happy with what happened last week. She asks if there have been any repercussions. Drew says the truth is, Kross pushed him to his breaking point at Extreme Rules and… yeah, Drew was called to WWE HQ last week and they had some uncomfortable conversations. Drew says it was made clear that if he and Kross meet again and start fighting, there will be severe consequences, but they all agreed that this needs to end, so it will end at WWE Crown Jewel… in a Steel Cage match. Drew walks off.

– We see a black SUV arriving in the back parking lot. Logan Paul hops out and heads into the building.

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WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles Match: Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Damage CTRL

We go back to the ring and out comes Damage CTRL – WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY and Dakota Kai with Bayley. The trio hits the apron to pose to a mixed reaction. Out next comes Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez, riding on Shotzi’s tank. They rush the ring and pose for the crowd as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and SKY meets Raquel in the middle of the ring for a face-off. SKY taps Raquel first. Raquel smiles and then goes to work on SKY. SKY tags in Kai for the double team. Kai with a big kick for a 2 count on Raquel. Raquel ends up blocking a Scorpion Kick, then rag-dolling Kai and tagging Shotzi in for a double team neckbreaker. Kai kicks out at 2.

Shotzi works Kai over and sends her into the corner for a splash. Shotzi with a running senton in the corner. Shotzi positions Kai and climbs to the top but SKY pulls Kai to the floor to safety. Raquel grabs SKY at ringside, launching her into Kai to send them both down. Shotzi tags in and goes to the top. Shotzi walks out on Raquel’s shoulders now. Shotzi leaps off Raquel’s shoulders, taking the champs down on the floor. Raquel and Shotzi bring Kai back into the ring now for a 2 count.

Raquel tags Shotzi back in, holding Kai so Shotzi go to the top. Shotzi knocks Kai off Raquel’s shoulders with a big missile dropkick. Shotzi covers for 2 but Kai kicks out and Shotzi can’t believe it. Raquel tags back in with shoulder thrusts to Kai in the corner. Shotzi tags back in with a running back elbow in the corner. Kai kicks out at 2 as a worried Bayley looks on. Shotzi drops down on Kai again for another quick pin attempt. Kai catches Shotzi with a jawbreaker. SKY tags in but Shotzi chases Kai around the ring and back in. SKY nails Shotzi with a missile dropkick. Bayley cheers the champs on as we go back to commercial with SKY in control of Shotzi.

Back from the break and Shotzi is being double teamed. She fights them off, then sends Kai to the floor after Bayley’s interference failed. Shotzi kicks SKY away. Raquel tags in and runs wild on both of the champions as fans cheer her on. Raquel with a big fall-away slam to SKY, then one to Kai in the middle of the ring. Raquel goes for the spinning Vader Bomb to Kai but SKY interferes from the apron. She takes SKY up for the superplex but Kai gets involved, as does Shotzi. Shotzi and Kai go to the floor. SKY nails a big tornado DDT to Raquel for a close 2 count. Bayley can’t believe the kick out. SKY steps on Raquel and goes up for her signature moonsault. Raquel rolls out of the way and nails a clothesline.

Shotzi tags back in for the double team on SKY. Raquel kicks Kai away as she tries to run in. Kai counters Raquel’s powerbomb and falls on top of Shotzi’s pin to SKY to make the save. Kai fights off another powerbomb attempt, dumping she and Raquel to the floor. Bayley hits the apron but Shotzi knocks her off. SKY takes advantage and drops Shotzi on her head. SKY goes to the top and hits her moonsault for the pin on Shotzi to retain.

Winners: Damage CTRL

– After the match, SKY and Kai regroup as Bayley brings the titles in the ring to celebrate. A disappointed Raquel look on from ringside as we go to replays. Raquel consoles Shotzi from the floor while Damage CTRL poses together.

– Kayla Braxton is backstage with SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey now. She asks if there will be an Open Challenge because fans are expecting one based on Rousey’s previous title changes. Rousey asks if that’s what they’re expecting? She says let’s get something clear – she issues Open Challenges to prove she’s the best, not entertain the WWE Universe, she owes them nothing. She says she gave the fans everything she had and got nothing but hate for it. If she kept chasing their approval after all that, how pathetic does that make her? She didn’t come back for them, doesn’t win for them, and ripped the title off Glitter Cinderella in spite of them. She says they don’t want the best to win, they want their favorites to win, so now they’re stuck with the best. Kayla asks about the Open Challenge again. Rousey says she will issue one next week when she feels it but for now she’s got to get the hell out of Ohio. Rousey walks off.

– Still to come, Logan Paul is here.

– The announcers are suddenly interrupted by the Uncle Howdy mask character. His voice is distorted but there’s a QR code. The voice repeats a line about how you shouldn’t lie to the ones you love. The Bray Wyatt logo appears on the screen as we cut to a commercial.

– Back from a break and Legado del Fantasma is backstage. Santos Escobar says the family business is growing into an empire, business is growing stronger and farther for mergers & acquisitions. He says their latest acquisition is the beautiful, ruthless and powerful Zelina Vega. Vega hands her jeweled video game controller to one of the other members. She says Escobar is right, she’s been successful at everything she’s ever done. She says they have no peers or competition because they are head and shoulders above everyone else. Escobar and Vega stand with Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro now. Santos goes on about how they are built on tradition, heritage and culture, and their legacy on SmackDown begins by destroying Hit Row. They all go a toast and smile at the camera. Hit Row is seen watching backstage now. They can’t believe Hit Row thinks they will end them, and that they are above everyone else. They are tired of getting jumped and say Legado del Fantasma doesn’t want to see them face-to-face. B-Fab says it doesn’t matter because she has an idea, so let’s go. Ashante “Thee” Adonis and “Top Dolla” AJ Francis follow B-Fab out to end the segment.

Rey Mysterio vs. Ludwig Kaiser

We go back to the ring and out comes Rey Mysterio to a pop as Samantha Irvin does the introductions. It’s announced that Rey will get his WWE Intercontinental Title shot in two weeks. Rey hits the corners to pose as fans cheer him on. Out next comes Imperium – Ludwig Kaiser with Giovanni Vinci and WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER. Imperium marches to the ring and Kaiser poses in the middle now.

The bell rings and Kaiser takes Rey to the corner, working him over. Rey grabs Kaiser but Kaiser takes him down into a headlock in the middle of the ring. Rey blocks Kaiser out of the corner and nails an enziguri to stun him. Kaiser sends Rey face-first into the turnbuckles.

Rey fights out of the corner and flies but Kaiser drops him in mid-air with a punch as The Ring General barks orders from ringside. Kaiser dominates Rey some more and talks some trash. Rey fights back and sends Kaiser into position for 619 as fans pop. Vinci runs interference from the apron to stop the 619, then ringside.

GUNTHER now distracts Rey from the apron. Rey runs with a baseball slide to send Kaiser back to the floor. Rey slides out but Kaiser dodges him, then comes right back with a big uppercut to level Rey at ringside. We go to commercial with Kaiser in control.

Back from the break and they’re going at it. Rey gets an opening and goes to the top but Kaiser intercepts him. Kaiser climbs up and delivers shots to Rey’s back as GUNTHER and Vinci look on. Rey blocks a superplex attempt now. Rey fights back and headbutts Kaiser to the mat. Rey looks to fly but he’s slow. Kaiser gets up and Rey hits the senton. Rey with some of his signature offense now, including the crossbody for a 2 count.

More back and forth now. Rey with a kick to the face and a second rope moonsault for 2. Fans chant for 619. Rey mounts Kaiser in the corner with punches as fans count along now. Rey poses for more cheers. Rey keeps control until Kaiser uppercuts him. Fans chant for WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero now. Rey cuts Kaiser off and climbs up in the corner. Rey delivers headbutts up top, then nails the hurricanrana for a close 2 count. Rey goes back up but Kaiser cuts him off for a powerbomb attempt but Rey fights back and sends Kaiser back to the floor over the top rope.

Rey leaps off the apron but hits the barrier as Kaiser moves out of the way. The referee tends to Kaiser as Rey is approached by GUNTHER and Vinci at ringside. Rey throws a steel chair and goes down, acting like Imperium hit him. The referee ejects GUNTHER and Vinci to the back, and they are not happy. Rey fights back in now, dropping Kaiser with a kick.

Rey flies off the top but Kaiser gets his knees up. Kaiser rolls him for a 2 count but Rey kicks out and he can’t believe it. Fans chant for 619 again. Kaiser calls for the finish but Rey rolls him up. Rey sends Kaiser to the ropes, then hits 619 and the top rope splash for the pin to win.

Winner: Rey Mysterio

– After the match, Rey stands tall as the music hits. We go to commercial. Rey poses in the corner now.

– Logan Paul is walking backstage. He stops at The Bloodline’s door and smiles, then keeps walking. Back to commercial.

– The announcers confirm the following for next week’s SmackDown on FS1 – an Open Challenge from SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn vs. Ridge Holland and Butch, Hit Row with a mystery partner vs. Legado del Fantasma in six-man action, plus the return of Roman Reigns.

– We see what happened earlier to Sheamus at the hands of The Bloodline. Cole says Sheamus is still under doctor’s observation at a local hospital, but early word is that he has a non-displaced fracture.

– We go back to the ring and out comes Logan Paul. We see photos of Paul training in the ring this week with WWE Hall of Famer & Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.

Paul takes the mic and yells out at the crowd. He says it feels good to be back in Ohio, but back to the hard-cam now – to all the WWE die-hards at home, I know you doubt me but newsflash dummies – I’ve been doubted by whole life and look where I’m at now. Paul runs his mouth a lot because he’s confident in himself and his abilities. He doesn’t need some angry looking Paul Heyman dude talking for me, he doesn’t nee some guy who is the same guy as the other protecting him (Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos), and he doesn’t need some guy named Solo who is never alone, and he definitely doesn’t have any friends who look like Sami Zayn, but he does have the desire to be the best. Paul knows he’s the underdog in this fight, as he should be. He knows no one is expecting him to step in the ring with The GOAT, and actually win, but what happens if he does?

Paul goes on about how he could beat Reigns bad and win the title, knocking out all of his teeth. Jey Uso suddenly attacks from behind and beats Paul down in the middle of the ring. Jey superkicks Paul into the corner, then delivers a big Umaga/Rikishi splash. Paul is down and dazed in the corner. Jey yells out at the crowd as they boo him back. Jey raises his 1 in the air as Sami hits the apron, saying he can’t do this because The Tribal Chief said so. Sami tells Jey to leave the ring, but Jey charges for another Umaga splash to Paul instead. Paul side-steps it, and drops Jey with one right hand. Paul stands tall to boos.

Paul looks at Sami, then puts his hat back on and briefly poses before exiting the ring. A shocked Sami looks on as Paul celebrates to the back. We go to replays. Paul looks on from the stage as Cole hypes Paul vs. Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at Crown Jewel, wondering if he can win the title with one lucky shot like he hit Jey with. Paul laughs and yells out “one shot!” as SmackDown on FOX goes off the air.