The SmackDown Files: WWE Presents - Revenge Of The Angry Unicorns (A New Day Story)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. WWE’s four-night stand in H-Town comes to an end as SD Live eats a slice of humble pie because Raw beat them at Survivor Series in head-to-head competition by a narrow margin.

The blue brand didn’t get punked out, but their egos were bruised after Shane McMahon’s Guerrilla Warfare tactics backfired. Did Shane-O-Mac offer a mea culpa or did he have a taste for revenge instead? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Daniel Bryan spared the careers of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, but he didn’t let the outcasts off the hook after they tried to screw over Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. Since the entire locker room hated their guts, Bryan booked Owens and Zayn against The New Day in a Lumberjack Match as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a fine way to start the show. Shane McMahon put over the SD Live roster for busting their asses on Sunday, but he singled out Owens and Zayn for being selfish megalomaniacs who only cared about their own self-interests. He was about to fire them when Daniel Bryan came out and gave them a reprieve before handing out their punishment.

·        Zayn being an over joyous asshole kept the segment afloat from an entertainment standpoint.  Outside of that, this was a blah way to start the show.

·        Shelton Benjamin defeated Jey Uso with Pay Dirt in a solid match. Chad Gable ran interference at ringside which enabled Benjamin to pick up the tainted win. The heel-babyface dynamic has been flipped as American Alpha 2.0 have used heelish tactics in order to outsmart The Usos in recent weeks. The role surprisingly suits them while Jimmy and Jey are getting over as badass babyfaces. Their eventual rematch for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles should be very good if both teams are given enough time to do their thing in the ring.

·        The NXT Invasion continued as Ruby Riot, Sarah Logan, and Liv Morgan attacked Naomi backstage. Becky Lynch tried to make the saved, but she got tripled teamed as well. This was an impressive debut for Riot, Logan, and Morgan as they’ve raised the stakes in the SD Live Women’s Division. It’s about damn time!

·        I think Shane McMahon is in for a rude awakening when he realizes that Daniel Bryan is not going to fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn after they are beaten to a pulp during the Lumberjack Match against The New Day later today. I smell a double-cross coming.

·        The Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Hype Bros when Harper and Rowan laid out Mojo Rawley with a Double Chokeslam for the win. This was a one-sided rout that showcased the twisted duo in the best possible way. This team has potential if they are booked properly.

·        The WWE Championship rematch between AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal will take place at the Clash of Champions PPV on December 17^th. Here’s hoping this is the blow off match because Styles needs to hold the belt through WrestleMania. No offense to Mahal, but his title reign left a lot to be desired.

·        The Singh Brothers attacked Styles from behind, but The Phenomenal One made quick work of Singh One and Singh Two as he laid one of them out with the Styles Clash as the segment came to an end. This was a good way to build heat for their WWE title match next month despite Mahal cutting his promo from the Titantron.

·        The SmackDown Women’s Championship rematch between Charlotte and Natalya came to a halt when Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan attacked Natalya at ringside which caused the referee to ring the bell. Once Natalya was taken out, the trio set their sights on Charlotte as they triple teamed her as well.

·        Prior to the DQ, Charlotte and Natalya were having a solid match. It was a mirror copy of what they did last week, but it made sense in the grand scheme of things.

·        Riot, Logan, and Morgan made an impactful debut while Daniel Bryan remained mum about their actions. Very interesting…

·        Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defeated The New Day when Zayn pinned Kofi Kingston with a roll-up after the BBFs took advantage of the lumberjacks fighting each other down the stretch. The match was solid, but it was nothing special.

·        Sensing that things were going downhill, Owens made a run for it while leaving his best friend behind. Rusev and Aiden English tried to intervene on Zayn’s behalf, but Kofi Kingston laid them out with a dive from the top rope onto the floor.

·        Xavier Woods threw Zayn back in the ring as the rest of The New Day pounced on him like a pack of angry unicorns. Kingston nailed Zayn with Trouble in Paradise before Woods and Big E finished him off with The Midnight Hour.

·        As The New Day celebrated in the ring, the camera cut backstage to Owens begging Daniel Bryan not to fire him. Bryan reassured Owens that he was never going to fire him. He recognized KO’s talent and decided to book him in a match against Randy Orton next week. Owens was about to pitch a fit, but he kept his cool as the show went off the air.

·        Shane McMahon’s reaction to Daniel Bryan’s decision not to fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn should be very interesting. Bryan is still salty that Shane invaded Raw without consulting him first. Hence the power struggle that has boiled over into tonight’s show. 

·        Can the brain trust of SD Live settle their differences before one of them decides to join the dark side of the force? Shane-O-Mac is susceptible to corruption based on his DNA alone. The same can’t be said for Bryan, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. Here’s hoping he can resist temptation because the blue brand doesn’t needed a bootleg version of The Authority wreaking havoc on Tuesday nights. 

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. The in-ring was fine, but it was nothing to write home about. The fallout from Survivor Series felt muted as everything went back to business as usual after Raw and SD Live went to war with nothing on the line except pride. That’s the major drawback when it comes to Brand Wars (Insert Year Here). 

·        WWE needs to explore ways to up the ante next year when it comes to trades, future draft picks, and Royal Rumble positioning. Having something tangible to fight for will enable fans to care about both shows which should always be the ultimate goal. If not, it’s another frivolous battle for brand supremacy that rings hollow if nothing is gained in victory except bragging rights. Minus the bullshit trophy, of course. 

·        Based on what happened during the Lumberjack Match, it appears that Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode will be feuding over the United States Championship. Roode’s transition to the main roster has been disappointing thus far. I don’t think a series of middling matches against Corbin is going to get him on the right track, but we shall see.

·        With three more live shows to go until Clash of Champions, the creative team has enough time to flesh out the PPV card. The major title bouts are seemingly locked in, but a lot can happen between now and then. Here’s hoping the Powers That Be can work their magic because the blue brand needs to end the year on a high note because the quality of the show has taken a nosedive Post-WrestleMania season. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. Happy Thanksgiving, boys and girls! 

The Total Evaluation Of Women's Wrestling

The Total Evaluation of Women’s Wrestling

By Sylvester Barzey

I was sitting with my New Day Unicorn and my box of Booty O’s on Monday (We did it! New Day Rocks, New Day Rocks) when I had to shut everything around me out and get lost in what might have been one of the best promos I’ve seen all year! I’m talking about Sasha Banks vs Charlotte in an Iron Man Match at Roadblock! Many may say this back and forth rivalry has run its course because they are stealing TV time from other stars. Some may even call it boring, but I’m not one of those people. In fact, every last one of those people has made The List!

I saw what you posted on Twitter! You just made the list, buddy!

There is nothing boring about what’s going on in Women’s Wrestling right now. This is hands down the best time to be a female in the industry because every company is making moves to showcase their female talent in a big way. We’ve had the first ever female Hell in a Cell Match, Lucha Underground had a female Champion! Do you understand how big that is? Sexy Star is the first female Lucha Underground Champion. If that doesn’t say the sport is changing, I don’t know what does.

Let’s take a look at The Total Evaluation of Women’s Wrestling and see what the future holds as the evolution continues.

We’re not gonna get into who started the WWE Women’s Revolution because we all know it was AJ Lee. Instead, let’s look at how WWE’s push to change their Women’s Division has created a ripple effect throughout the industry. The modern era of Women’s Wrestling has stepped away from the days of “Puppies” and Swimsuit Contests. WWE disconnected from that era and took a big step into the future when they killed the Diva’s Division and rebranded it the Women’s Division.

With this re-branding came far more exposure than anyone expected. We’ve seen women main event Raw in two amazing matches, Smackdown Live let their superstars break out the tables at TLC which lead to Alexa Bliss being crowned the new Smackdown Live Women’s Champion, and let’s not forget Lucha Underground and TNA, where female stars not only shine as bright as their male counterparts, they also throw down in intergender match ups.

The Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Trifecta

A Hell in the Cell Match

A Falls Count Anywhere Match

A 30 minute Ironman Match

Say what you want about WWE, but they are killing it when it comes to breaking the glass ceiling in the wrestling industry. All of this is paving the way for moments like the rumored 20 Woman Royal Rumble Match next month. This is all just speculation right now, but the internet is blowing up with fan images, predictions, and just all around excitement! I’ve been a wrestling fan since I could walk over to my dad and drop an elbow on him and I’m gonna be a wrestling fan until the casket drops. I can honestly say with every fiber of my being that I’m more excited about what’s been going on in the world of Women’s Wrestling than anything that’s been going on with the guys lately.

Yes, The Final Deletion was Awesome

Yes, Goldberg Beating Brock Pissed Me Off

Yes, AJ Styles’ heel turn is one of my favorite moments of the year

But I’m A Boss Guy who gets royally blissed off if you try to run to the bathroom during any of these awesome matches in this new era of Women’s Wrestling.

Just like I called Zack Ryder winning The IC title, I am going to call these things into existence as well:

Sasha Banks will Main Event WrestleMania at some point in her career!

Alexa Bliss or Becky Lynch will hold the IC title! (Watch your back, Miz)

And if there is a Female Royal Rumble this year, my girl Naomi is gonna make the women’s locker room feel the glow and be the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble winner.

The game has changed boys and girls.

So get with it or get left behind.

Which Brand should WWE's Top Free Agents go to?

By: Joren B. Apiquian

            Although the WWE Brand Extension happened a little over two months ago, there are still a handful of active WWE Superstars that do not have a place to call home quite yet. These performers were not selected during the draft due to injury or have earned the status of being special talent who have reached legendary status in recent years. Wrestlers dealing with injuries is unavoidable (unless you happen to be The Miz) and it has put individuals on the shelf time and time again. Even though part-timers such as The Rock and The Undertaker are destined to return to the squared circle in time for WrestleMania season, the following WWE Superstars are full-time performers who went undrafted due to injury or have been recently signed by the company. With a surplus of talent on both RAW and Smackdown Live!, the following individuals have a golden opportunity to either make a statement upon their return or debut. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Tamina

            Quite possibly being WWE’s biggest missed opportunity in the women’s division over the past few years, Tamina is scheduled to return to action after having knee surgery in early May. Injuries are never a pleasant time for any athlete, but this is the perfect time to re-introduce Tamina as a formidable threat to either brand’s women’s division. Being a part of the historic Samoan wrestling lineage and daughter of Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, she has all the tools to be successful in WWE. However, the aforementioned Snuka is in the middle of a trial for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Argentino which dates back to 1983. This shouldn’t have any effect on Tamina’s role in the company, but if history has shown us anything, it is very possible that it might.

             With all of that aside, where does Tamina belong upon her return to the WWE Universe? As I stated earlier, Tamina has a lot of untapped potential. She may not have the technical prowess like Alundra Blayze, but she has an intimidating look and strength advantage over most of her counterparts. It’s also a thing of beauty to see someone of her size jump off the top rope to perform a Superfly Splash. Enter Nia Jax. Jax has been running rampant over unknown local talent ever since her RAW debut. She is scheduled to go one-on-one with Alicia Fox at Clash of Champions, but it does not seem likely that Fox will be victorious. Until Jax is ready for title contention, she is going to need a believable challenger. With Summer Rae out with an injury and Paige not medically cleared to perform yet, Tamina would be the perfect opponent. Although they are considered cousins, that could be an interesting showdown to say the least. They can also join forces to tear through the women’s division which would make for some compelling television as well. 

            However, it appears that RAW only has room for one imposing figure in the women’s division. Smackdown Live! seems like the destined home for the returning Samoan. Not only would she be able to thrive in a more competitive division, but she would also have more storyline options. The Usos recently turned heel and their change in attitude is promising to say the least. Many may not remember this, but when The Usos debuted in WWE, they were heels and Tamina was their manager. Their feud with The Hart Foundation is a forgotten gem of the past. Having Tamina return as their manager would provide more intrigue to their act and who knows? Maybe they can snag the tag titles while Tamina is the Women’s Champion in the very near future.

Luke Harper

            Next to Cesaro, Luke Harper is one of the most underrated Superstars on WWE’s roster today. He is also arguably the most successful member of The Wyatt Family because he is the only one to win a championship within the group. After suffering a severe knee injury during a dark match earlier this year, he has been sidelined ever since.

Harper has since been medically cleared to compete and his return to WWE should take place any day now. Out of all of the returning Superstars, Luke Harper has the highest ceiling and his possibilities are endless if he is given the opportunity to succeed. It is difficult to predict which brand he will head to because his character could go in a number of directions from a creative standpoint. During the initial split of The Wyatt Family, Harper proved that he could thrive as a singles competitor when he defeated Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship in November 2014. Even though he dropped the title back to Ziggler 27 days later, their showdown at TLC the following month was enough to prove Harper’s worth in the company.

            Going to Smackdown Live! seems like the next logical path for Harper. He can reunite with Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan to bring back the original trio of The Wyatt Family because they have not reached their full potential as a group even though they have been on the main roster for a little over three years. He is the workhorse of the group and can perform moves that typical men of his size can’t pull off. Even though Rowan has shown tremendous growth since the brand extension, he still has a very low ceiling as opposed to Harper. This can be very intriguing for Harper’s return, though. Wyatt has called on Rowan to do his dirty work for him and Rowan has failed every time. Wyatt has walked away from the White Sheep at times and after Randy Orton decimated Rowan last week on  Smackdown Live!, the clown-painted sheep mask left in the middle of the ring was the lone image of the segment. Wyatt has teased dissension within the family, but when Harper returns, what will happen? Harper has always been loyal to The Eater of Worlds while Rowan has never been shy to venture out on his own.  Will Harper return to lay waste to Rowan? Will Harper come back and attack Wyatt in order to help Rowan? Or will the Wyatt Family simply coexist with no issues whatsoever? If any of these storylines take place, they can all be promising if booked correctly.

            Although heading to Smackdown Live! seems to be the most logical destination for Luke Harper, logic and WWE never seem to go hand in hand. Going to RAW wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for Harper at all. Many of his independent circuit peers reside on WWE’s flagship show. His potential wars with Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor are mouthwatering to any diehard professional wrestling fan as he has feuded with most of them in the past. Also, Braun Strowman is in serious need of a legitimate opponent. Unknown local enhancement talents, including internet favorite James Ellsworth have outshined Strowman.  This Sunday’s Clash of Champions event would be the perfect opportunity for Harper to return. Have Strowman destroy his opponent with ease. He can pick up a microphone and call out someone from the back for a real challenge. Harper can return and give Strowman a run for his money. The bout can end in a count out or a disqualification in order to further the rivalry. Harper can express his anger towards Strowman the following night on RAW by saying that he felt replaced during his absence. Not only would this scenario give Harper direction immediately upon his return from injury, it allow fans to see a new side of him that they haven’t seen before.

            Harper has proved that he is a valuable asset to WWE whether he returns to the Wyatt Family on Smackdown Live! or ventures out on his own once again on RAW.

Emma

            The Melbourne, Australia native has had an odd career in WWE. She found success in NXT as a bubbly airhead who possessed an impressive repertoire of crowd-pleasing moves. Unfortunately, that success did not translate to the main roster where she seemed destined to be a comedic act alongside Santino Marella. After Marella’s untimely injury followed by his release, Emma was in limbo. She went back to her roots in NXT and turned into an Aviator-wearing badass heel with an even catchier theme song than her previous one. She partnered up with Dana Brooke and they developed good chemistry that carried over to the main roster. Emma finally found her footing within the company and a promising feud with Becky Lynch seemed underway.

Sadly, Emma suffered a back injury during a live event that required surgery in May. Brooke has found success as Charlotte’s wimpy protégé who is destined for a huge babyface turn and monster push, but where does that leave Emma? She recently returned as a guest referee at a live event which suggests that she is returning to action sooner rather than later. Having her return to RAW without reuniting with Brooke would be a puzzling move, but with Summer Rae being the latest addition to WWE’s injury report, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad move because she would be able to forge her own path as a singles star without Brooke weighing her down.

If Emma joined Smackdown Live!, not only can she resume her rivalry with Smackdown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, she can also be on the same brand as her real -life boyfriend Zack Ryder. Since her character still needs to be fleshed out, going to either brand would be a good move for Emma.

Honorable Mention: Jack Gallagher

            The English Gentleman Jack Gallagher captivated the audience in the inaugural Cruiserweight Classic. Even though Akira Tozawa eliminated him in the second round of the tournament, many believed that would not be the end of his run in WWE. He was featured in vignettes for RAW’s Cruiserweight Division which seemed to suggest that he would be a member of the red brand. However, Daniel Bryan’s admiration for him during the tournament might lend itself to the possibility of Gallagher heading to the blue brand instead. Daniel Bryan spoke very highly of the young gentleman during an episode of Talking Smack a few weeks ago. If the GM speaks that highly of him, it would make sense for him and Shane McMahon to sign Gallagher to their roster. Not every Cruiserweight has to be a part of RAW.  Just take a look at Kalisto for example. Jack Gallagher has a unique look and his technical prowess mixed with high-risk offense is a spectacular thing to watch. This gentleman can be a low-key breakout star in WWE.

Speaking of gentlemen, there are two manly individuals on the Smackdown Live! roster who can significantly benefit from Gallagher’s presence: Aiden English and Simon Gotch of The Vaudevillians. The duo found great success in NXT as both babyfaces and heels. Much like Emma, their success in NXT did not carry over to the main roster, but they’re not to blame. With no build up whatsoever and a debut on Smackdown prior to the brand extension, the duo was doomed to be glorified jobbers. Gotch’s backstage heat doesn’t help either. With their initial push being snuffed out quicker than Tyler Breeze’s, The Vaudevillians never had a chance to impress management despite their commendable qualities. They are tremendous performers, but their gimmick can be hard to grasp on the main stage. Introducing Gallagher to their act would be a genius idea to get the tandem over. In an already heel-dominated tag team division on Smackdown Live!, bringing in Gallagher can make them babyfaces. Let’s face it, Gallagher is way too likeable to ever be considered villainous.

            However, all signs point to Jack Gallagher being a part of RAW’s Cruiserweight Division, but taking a chance and pairing him with The Vaudevillians would be a risk worth taking as well.

Where do you think WWE’s top free agents will land? Let us know below!