The Raw Exposé: How To End A Brand War Before It Starts - A Survivor Series Story (10-23-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. A lot has changed since last week’s blog. The entire complexion of TLC changed when Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt were pulled from the PPV due to a viral infection. WWE delivered a major make-good by replacing Wyatt with Styles for the first-ever match against Finn Bálor while Kurt Angle filled in for Roman Reigns as he joined Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a 5-on-3 battle against The Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, Braun Strowman, and Kane. It turned a run-of-the-mill show into a must-see event that exceeded expectations.

The focus now switches to Survivor Series as the battle for brand supremacy heats up as Raw and SmackDown Live go to war for the second year in a row. Will the latest incarnation of Bragging Rights live up to the hype or die on the vine 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.

·        Kurt Angle kicked off the show by announcing several Raw vs. SmackDown matches at Survivor Series next month which will feature four Champion vs. Champion bouts along with two Traditional Five-on-Five Elimination Matches showcasing the best male and female talent from both shows. The lineup is as follows:

·        Alexa Bliss vs. Natalya (Raw Women’s Champion vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion), The Miz vs. Baron Corbin (Intercontinental Champion vs. United States Champion), Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. The Usos (Raw Tag Team Champions vs SmackDown Tag Team Champions), and Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal (Universal Champion vs. WWE Champion).

·        Before Angle could continue, The Miz came out to blast Angle for hogging the spotlight at TLC and wanted him to resign as Raw General Manager. Angle scoffed at the notion which caused Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Curtis Axel to circle the ring like a bunch of sharks.

·        Ambrose and Rollins made their way to through the crowd to provide Angle with some backup. Miz chided The Shield for selling out to upper management and warned them that he still had the numbers advantage.

·        Angle evened the odds by booking a Six-Man Tag Team Match featuring The Miz, Sheamus, and Cesaro vs. The Shield and AJ STYLES which took place after the commercial break.

·        This was a hot way to start the show. The lineup for Survivor Series is pretty meh so far due to the underwhelming heel vs. heel matchups with exception of the tag team match featuring Ambrose and Rollins vs. The Usos. They should have the best match on the show unless one of the Traditional Five-on-Five Elimination bouts edges them out.

·        Lesnar vs. Mahal should be the usual five-minute showcase for Lesnar unless The Singh Brothers get involved to delay the inevitable when it comes to Mahal eating the pin. Outside of that, the PPV card feels pretty blasé on paper at the moment. Here’s hoping WWE can sprinkle some magic dust on the proceedings because Brand Wars 2017 feels like a retread from last year for all the wrong reasons.

·        Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and AJ Styles defeated The Miz, Sheamus, and Cesaro when Styles nailed Cesaro with the Phenomenal Forearm for the win. The action was fast-paced and hard-hitting throughout as fans clamored for Styles to get the hot tag. Rollins gave them what they wanted as Styles cleaned house. The match broke down into a parade of finishers which set up the ending beautifully.

·        The babyfaces didn’t get a chance to celebrate as Kane made his way to down to the ring. They charged after the Big Red Machine, but he laid them out with the greatest of ease as Miz, Sheamus, and Cesaro joined in on the quadruple beat down. Realizing that Kane had his own agenda, Miz and his crew left him alone in the ring as the segment came to an end.

·        After another break, Kane explained why he attacked and seemingly destroyed Braun Strowman by tossing him in the back of a garbage truck at TLC last night. He was upset that people were calling Strowman a monster and wanted to see how mean and ugly he really was. Kane was unimpressed and called him a piece of trash that got what he deserved. There was only room for one monster in WWE and he challenged anyone backstage to prove him wrong. Finn Bálor stepped up the plate and accepted the challenge which took place after the break.

·        Kane defeated Finn Bàlor after dropping him with three Chokeslams in a fairly lopsided match. The booking made sense in terms of making Kane look strong, but it hurt Bàlor because he got punked out in decisive fashion. After having a show-stealing match against AJ Styles at TLC last night, Bàlor should’ve had a stronger showing to build momentum for Survivor Series next month. The whole thing was mindboggling to watch. Here’s hoping Kurt Angle still adds him to the men’s Survivor Series team because he should be the captain despite the questionable booking.

·        Shane McMahon made a surprise appearance as he and Kurt Angle had a friendly verbal joust leading up Brand Wars 2017. It was a cute segment and I can’t help but notice Shane’s hard nipples through his tight sweater. Just saying…

·        Asuka made Emma tap out the Asuka Lock in an underwhelming match. I partially blame WWE for showing the Green Bay Packers at ringside which led to a “Go Pack Go!” chant. Due to the fans cheering on their hometown team, it completely killed Asuka’s babyface pop. Throw in Emma inexplicably dominating the action and we have the recipe for a cold debut for the Empress of Tomorrow. At least their match last night was more evenly matched instead of Asuka selling 80% of the time. Here’s hoping this is a blip on the radar because too many NXT call-ups have been botched over the past couple of years. Asuka is too good to be squandered, but history has shown that WWE is capable of fucking up a good thing. Prime Example: Bayley’s Babyface Run.

·        Alexa Bliss felt disrespected and underappreciated and demanded that the fans shower her with a “You Deserve It!” chant The crowd didn’t play along as she went into meltdown mode as she claimed the fans didn’t like her because she wasn’t old with a three-year-old like Mickie James.

·        James came out and nailed Bliss with a wicked DDT while wearing high heel boots. She is the exception to the Trish Stratus Rule when it comes to doing wrestling moves while wearing fancy footwear. James grabbed the mic and told Bliss that she deserved it which was a clever way to end the segment.

·        Jason Jordan defeated Elias via Disqualification when Elias smashed Jordan’s shoulder with his guitar in a sick spot. Booker T condoned The Drifter’s actions which caused Corey Graves to go off on Booker for being an idiot. The whole thing was a hot mess, but Jordan earned style points for being more aggressive in the ring which was refreshing to see.

·        Paul Heyman has zero respect for Jinder Mahal and he read the WWE Champion for filth as he called him a pretender who didn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Triple H, and John Cena.

·        Lesnar wasn’t interested in representing Raw because any show he’s a part of is automatically the best. Therefore, Heyman warned Mahal that a trip to Suplex City was in his future as Lesnar reasserted his dominance as the undisputed Beast, Conqueror, and Universal Champion of the World.

·        As an added bonus, Heyman stated that Mahal would be victimized like Randy Orton at SummerSlam last year when Lesnar broke every moral code in WWE by busting Orton’s forehead open by elbowing him repeatedly. It was a violent spot that caused an uproar in both locker rooms. Heyman informed the modern-day Maharaja that he would suffer a similar fate as the segment came to an end.

·        Heyman was passionate and borderline apoplectic as he ran down Mahal for being a paper champion who didn’t deserve to breathe the same rarefied air as Lesnar. Mahal’s response should be very interesting, but I doubt it will hold much water if Heyman continues to demolish him on the mic.

·        The Triple Threat Match featuring Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Alicia Fox ended in a shocker when Fox pinned Bayley as she became the team captain of the Women’s Traditional Five-on-Five Elimination Match at Survivor Series. Banks defeated Fox three times in a row over the past couple of weeks, but the Crazy Fox Lady gets the golden goose egg instead. Fox’s crazy gimmick is fine in small doses, but her overacting gets on my nerves. To say that I am rooting for ladies on Team SmackDown Live would be an understatement. Go Blue!

·        Gran Metalik, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander, and Kalisto defeated Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, Noam Dar, and Enzo Amore when Kalisto dropped Enzo with the Salina Del Sol for the win. The match was decent, the Cruiserweights being slotted in the 10:30 p.m. Lull Period of Death did them no favors in terms of crowd heat. It’s back to business as usual when it comes to the bastardization of the beleaguered purple brand. It’s sad but true.

·        Raw ended on a shocking note when Shane McMahon led a SmackDown Live invasion which saw the blue brand decimate the Raw roster as Kurt Angle was forced to watch the carnage unfold.

·        The New Day were the ringleaders as they ambushed everyone backstage from Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to Finn Bálor and Matt Hardy.

·        Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Carmella and Natalya, and Tamina destroyed the ladies from Team Raw in quick fashion.

·        The Shield tried to fight back, but it was to no avail as the numbers game caught up to them. Baron Corbin grabbed Kurt Angle and made him watch the onslaught unfold before escorting Angle to the ring with the blue crew in tow.

·        Shane McMahon told Angle to bring his Olympic Gold Medal and what’s left of Team Raw to Survivor Series so SD Live can finish the job as the show went off the air with Angle looking shell-shocked in the ring.

·        This was an interesting way to end the show. Shane McMahon’s sweet and innocent demeanor was a ruse to lure Kurt Angle into a false sense of security. The invasion worked in the literal sense, but the segment died a thousand deaths live. The crowd didn’t hold up their end of the bargain when it came to pushing the ambush over the top. They were absolutely dead for everything that happened backstage and in the ring. Raw vs. SmackDown might seem big to WWE, but the fans couldn’t care less about both shows jockeying for brand supremacy. It’s a concept that has failed on numerous occasions. See Bragging Rights 2009-2010.

·        Unless there are real stakes on the line when it comes to trades, the whole thing is pointless. Despite these valid criticisms, the Green Bay crowd giving a fuck might’ve saved the segment. Instead, they provided the death knell with four weeks to go until the PPV which is a damn shame. There’s still time to salvage things, but the company had one shot to make Brand Wars 2017 feel special and their fan base let them down something fierce.

·        Despite the disappointing conclusion, WWE was smart not to include Sami Zayn as a proud member of Team SD Live after Zayn put the screws to Shane McMahon at Hell in a Cell a couple of weeks ago. At least there was some sense of storyline continuity heading into tomorrow night’s show. Whew!

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was subpar at best. The first hour of the show was hot, but the rest of the broadcast couldn’t keep up in terms of excitement. The main event segment was good in concept but failed in execution. The Green Bay crowd was lukewarm and their total apathy towards the SmackDown Live invasion was pretty damning. If this happened in any other city not named Pittsburgh or Atlanta, it would’ve gotten over despite the tired Raw vs. SmackDown brouhaha. Here’s hoping the creative team can get things back on track because this was an underwhelming first shot leading up to Survivor Series next month.

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

The Raw Exposé: How Kane Won The Fifth Man of the Year Award During a Mayoral Campaign (10-16-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The wrestling hotbed of the Pacific Northwest served as the backdrop for the go-home show for TLC which takes places on Sunday. For an appetizer, the never-ending rivalry between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman continued inside a steel cage. Despite both men being locked inside the ominous structure, it’s safe to assume that outside forces came into play down the stretch. Or did they? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Raw kicked off with Kurt Angle welcoming everyone to the show before The Shield quickly interrupted him. Angle gave the trio a chance to speak which elicited a heelish response from Roman Reigns. Reigns stated that he was going to kick his boss’ ass if he didn’t leave the ring accordingly. Seth Rollins tried to lighten the mood, but the mixed reaction to Reigns was telling.

·        Things got better once Ambrose grabbed the mic and challenged Braun Strowman, The Bar, and The Miz to a fight. The heels came out and were ready to throw down, but Angle warned them not to get physical or the double main event of The Bar vs. Rollins & Ambrose for the Raw Tag Team Championship and Strowman vs. Reigns inside a steel cage would be in jeopardy. Both teams managed to keep the peace as the opening segment came to an end.

·        Reigns getting a so-so reaction on the mic was a little surprising. I guess the fans are hip to WWE’s latest round of creative manipulation when it comes to getting him over as a legit babyface. It’s quite the conundrum, to say the least. Here’s hoping the popularity of Ambrose and Rollins rubs off on Reigns because he’s on the verge of becoming the dreaded third wheel during The Shield Reunion Tour.

·        Jason Jordan, Apollo Crews, and Titus O’Neil defeated Elias, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows when Crews pinned Anderson with the Spin-Out Powerbomb in a solid match. They were short on time, but the six-man tag was entertaining while it lasted.

·        Cedric Alexander defeated Jack Gallagher with the Lumbar Check in a solid match. The match had decent crowd heat thanks to WWE showing a video package of Alexander and Gallagher feuding on 205 Live over the past few weeks. It gave fans a reason to care about the match on an emotional level which is refreshing to see for a change. Plus, this was a good way to promote the TLC match featuring Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann vs. The Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher. All in all, this was a nice showcase for the purple division who needs some TLC (Tender, Love, and Care) due to the unconfirmed departure of Neville last week.

·        The Miz tried to use Dean Ambrose’s words against him by adding Curtis Axel to the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to make it a five-on-three affair. Kurt Angle came out and shot Miz’s idea down. Miz only wanted to go by what Ambrose said about The Shield fighting four or more men at the same time.

·        To maintain some semblance of fairness, Angle added a special stipulation to the Steel Cage match between Strowman and Reigns. If Strowman wins, a fifth man will be added to Miz’s team. If Reigns wins, Strowman is removed from the match and the original six-man tag is back on. Strowman agreed to the stip, but there was one more caveat that sent Miz reeling. Angle announced that everyone would be banned from ringside to keep things fair and square. A steel cage match without outside interference? Have we entered The Twilight Zone?

·        In all seriousness, this was a cool way to raise the stakes for the main event later tonight. In an unexpected moment, the fans absolutely loved Curtis Axel. Portland is a wrestling hotbed that has produced Hall of Fame talent over the years. Mr. Perfect had quite the career during his run with Pacific Northwest Wrestling which explains why the crowd went crazy for Axel. It was a cool moment and Miz did a great job playing up the surprise pop. The Henning Bloodline remains strong.

·        Sasha Banks defeated Alicia Fox with the Bank Statement in a quick match. After the match was over, Fox snapped in the ring and attacked Banks backstage after the commercial break. Considering the fact that both ladies had a lukewarm feud over the summer, I am not looking forward to the redux.

·        Enzo Amore hired his own goon crew as Ariya Daivari, Drew Gulak, Noam Dar, and Tony Nese attacked Kalisto from behind. Mustafa Ali made the save, but he got quintuple teamed as well. Enzo let his flunkies do his dirty work before nailing Kalisto with Eat Defeat. He ended the segment by asking both men how they were doing in the most sarcastic way possible.

·        The fans are starting to boo Enzo more and more which is good to see. The “We Want Neville” chant wasn’t lost on me either. If WWE is smart, they will make a peace offering to Neville because he can get over as the conquering babyface who saves 205 Live from annoying pest known as Enzo Amore. Only time will tell…

·        Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose defeated Cesaro and Sheamus when Ambrose nailed Cesaro with Dirty Deeds for the win. The match was good while it lasted, but it got sloppy down the stretch which hampered the finishing sequence. Minor quibble aside, this was another strong outing from both teams that featured hard-hitting and fast-paced action throughout.

·        Bálor plans to unleash his inner Demon at TLC which will hopefully end his feud with Bray Wyatt once and for all. One would think that it should’ve happened at SummerSlam or No Mercy, but I digress…

·        Mickie James and Bayley defeated Emma and Alexa Bliss when James nailed Bliss with the Mick Kick for the win. The tag match was solid as Bayley received a warm reception for a change. However, WWE booking suggests that Bliss will retain the Raw Women’s Championship at TLC because she ate the pin six days before a PPV. It’s a tradition that continues to stand the test of time.

·        It’s safe to say that The Shield kicked Curtis Axel’s ass from pillar to post because he was hanging upside down backstage with his midsection bruised and battered. Poor thing…

·        The Miz dropped quite the truth bomb when he told Renee Young that Axel was never going to be the fifth man if Braun Strowman defeated Roman Reigns inside the steel cage. Let the speculation begin!

·        In a moment straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, KANE shocked the world when he appeared from underneath the ring during the Steel Cage Match between Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns. Reigns was shocked as he stared down the Big Red Machine. Kane proceeded to chokeslam him twice before Strowman laid Reigns out with a Running Powerslam. To add insult to injury, Kane dropped The Big Dog with another chokeslam followed by the Tombstone Piledriver which popped the crowd something fierce. Strowman defeated Reigns by laying him out with a second Running Powerslam as the announcers freaked out over Kane’s shocking return.

·        Miz announced that Kane was the fifth man added to his team at TLC as Raw went off the air with the heels standing tall in the ring.

·        Before the jaw-dropping finish, Strowman and Reigns had another good match. There was an impromptu intermission when Sheamus, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins ran interference at ringside before taking their fight backstage. Miz was watching the action unfold on guest commentary and disappeared for a moment to close the parking garage door as both teams continued to throw hail makers at each other.

·        Strowman delivered a crazy Superplex to Reigns from the top of the cage in a great spot. Reigns went for the Spear, but Strowman caught him only for Reigns to counter with a Superman Punch for a near fall. Reigns went for his finisher again only for Kane’s music to hit which led to the aforementioned finish.

·        I guess Kane hasn’t forgotten about being on the losing end of those six-man tag team matches against The Shield in 2013. Storyline Continuity For The Win!

·        The Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match is now a 5-on-3 affair which raises the stakes in terms of batshit craziness. There will be carnage, chaos, and chicanery throughout. Here’s hoping no one seriously gets hurt. Fingers crossed!

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was solid. The in-ring action was stronger than usual which made the show easier to watch. The promos hyping TLC were hit or miss, but it thought WWE did a nice job making the final brand exclusive PPV before Survivor Series a must-see event.

·        Each match on the card got television time and the announcers previewed the show from top to bottom which was refreshing to see for a change. The lack of title defenses is a little jarring, but WWE has given each nontitle bout a sense of purpose with varying degrees of success. TLC should be a good show if it’s laid out properly in terms of timing and match placement. 

·        Most importantly, the creative team didn’t add a tables, ladders, chairs, or STAIRS match to water down the main event. The fact that they showed this much restraint is pretty damn remarkable. Kudos to them for a job well done.

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

The SmackDown Files: The Viper In Sheep's Clothing Edition (11-29-2016)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the University of South Carolina. This is the go-home show for TLC as the blue brand tries to end their PPV year on a high note. James Ellsworth is a full-fledged WWE Superstar after defeating AJ Styles in a Ladder Match last week. How did Styles react after falling to 0-3 vs The Chinless Wonder?

Also, Tag Team Turmoil continues with American Alpha facing off against Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton to determine the number one contender for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Who punched their ticket to Dallas? Most importantly, did Orton turn on Wyatt revealing that his initiation into The Wyatt Family was an elaborate ruse? The answer to these questions can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order. 

·        The Good News: Becky Lynch got the jump on Alexa Bliss during their SmackDown Women’s Championship contract signing.

·        The Bad News: When Lynch tried to suplex Bliss through a table, Bliss raked her eyes and pushed her through the table.

·        This might be a precursor that Lynch and Bliss will have a Tables match at TLC. This would raise the stakes for the ladies on SD Live because Sasha Banks and Charlotte have had high profile matches that continue to elevate the art of women’s wrestling.

·        After a rough start on the mic, Lynch hit her stride down the stretch as she talked about her journey from being a part of the biggest women’s match at WrestleMania to winning the Women’s Championship at Backlash in September. She’s always relatable when she taps into something real and heartfelt.

·        Bliss did a great job being the evil pixie who can get under people’s skin on a whim. She’s adorable, but devilish at the same time. Her promos have improved by leaps and bounds because she is fully invested in her character. Plus, it helps that the announcers have stopped harping on her size. If AJ Lee could be a 5’2 badass without anyone batting an eyelash, so can Bliss.

·        Bliss and Lynch should have a good match at TLC. Their feud has had its share of unforeseen twists and turns, but it still feels fresh because there has not been a definitive finish yet. Here’s hoping there is one come Sunday.

·        Dolph Ziggler and Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin and The Miz was a fast-paced and hard-hitting match, but it ended via disqualification when Corbin attacked Kalisto with a steel chair. Things got chaotic down the stretch as Ziggler delivered a couple of superkicks to Corbin and Miz while Kalisto laid out Corbin with a suicide dive.

·        Maryse got involved when she laid Ziggler out with a ladder that was leaning against the steel steps. Kalisto hit Miz with the Salina Del Sol, but Corbin broke things up which lead to the DQ.

·        At least no one ate an unnecessary pin fall heading into the PPV. That’s a positive.

·        Carmella was greeted with a “How You Doin’?” chant, but she quickly shut it down by saying that she couldn’t wait to get the hell of South Carolina. That was a nice ad lib which shows that the Princess of Staten Island is quick on her feet when it comes to turning the crowd against her.

·        Carmella cut a scathing promo as she apologized to John Cena in advance for what she plans to do Nikki Bella during their No Disqualification match at TLC. She vowed to hit Nikki’s chest with a steel chair so hard that her twins would be popping out of her back.

·        Carmella went on to say that Cena would appreciate Nikki’s face being rearranged because he won’t have to worry about marrying her. That was a nice callback to Cena’s marriage phobia from previous seasons of Total Divas.

·        Nikki heard enough as she ran down to the ring and attacked Carmella. The referee tried to break things up, but the ladies kept going at each other. Carmella eventually escaped while Nikki stood tall in the ring.

·        This was an effective segment that put heat on their No DQ match at TLC. As I mentioned last week, it should be good if it’s not overbooked to death.

·        AJ Styles finally got his revenge on James Ellsworth and Dean Ambrose when he attacked both men during a special edition of The Ambrose Asylum. Styles quickly got rid of Ambrose and focused his attention on Ellsworth.

·        While the Chinless One was stuck in the headstand position against the ropes outside the ring, Styles delivered a wicked chair shot to Ellsworth’s back.

·        The Phenomenal One wasn’t finished as he laid out Ellsworth with a sick Styles Clash from the steel steps onto the floor. Even JBL was taken aback after he called Ellsworth a deformed turtle earlier in the segment.

·        Styles sent a clear message that the fun and games were over. Shit just got real, ladies and gentleman. Styles and Ambrose should have an excellent TLC match. Anything less would be a major disappointment.

·        Luke Harper failed in his quest to send Kane back to hell as he got pinned via a Chokeslam. This was the longest match on the show so far with a clean finish to boot. Harper and Kane had a solid big man match that was surprisingly even from start to finish.

·        The outcome put into question Harper’s standing in The Wyatt Family. Orton put Harper in the hot seat earlier in the show only for Bray Wyatt to pour gasoline on it by telling him to defeat Kane. I guess the seat is on fire which spells bad news for Harper. This might be a part of Orton’s master plan to take out the family from within. If so, that’s a brilliant strategy.

·        Becky Lynch got colorful with her language when she called Alexa Bliss a little bitch after the evil pixie challenged her to a Tables match at TLC. It’s not shocking considering how their contract signing ended. This makes the second women’s match on the PPV to feature an extra dose of violence. Both feuds warrant the added stipulations which should enhance the overall quality of their matches on Sunday.

·        The hot seat that Luke Harper was sitting in cooled off considerably after he helped Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton become the Number One Contender for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. They will go on to face Heath Slater and Rhyno at TLC.

·        American Alpha vs. Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton was very good. It was nice to see Chad Gable and Jason Jordan in the main even spot as they gelled well with Wyatt and Orton. The crowd reaction was muted because most fans still view Orton as a babyface despite his alliance with Wyatt. Despite the odd face/heel dynamic, the in-ring work was strong.

·        Harper magically appeared at ringside during the closing moments of the match. His distraction allowed Orton to block American Alpha from hitting Grand Amplitude on Wyatt when he nailed Gable with an RKO.

·        Jordan rammed Orton into the corner and was about to tackle Wyatt, but Harper moved him out of way. This allowed Wyatt to hit Jordan with Sister Abigail to pick up the win. The in-ring portion of the show ended with The Wyatt Family standing tall.

·        Heath Slater and Rhyno were doing a backstage interview with Dasha Fuentes when AJ Styles interrupted them. Styles proceeded to disrespect Beauty and The Man Beast by saying that no one cares about the Tag Team Champions. Rhyno was about to throw hands when Ambrose attacked Styles.

·        Styles and Ambrose had a full-on brawl as they knocked over luxury furniture and snack tables while Slater and Rhyno egged them on. The broadcast ended with both men still going at it on the floor.

·        This was an interesting way to end the show. I didn’t expect to see Ambrose again after he went to the hospital with Ellsworth. He came back to avenge Ellsworth’s good name. Styles was boasting like a peacock and ended up getting his ass kicked by the end of the night. This is all coming to a head at TLC. It should be a stellar match featuring sick bumps throughout. Don’t be surprised if Ellsworth shows up in a wheelchair to will Ambrose to victory.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. It appeared as if fans were treated to a special two-hour edition of Talking Smack because there was a lot of talking on this show. It wasn’t bad as each segment promoted a match at TLC. Luke Harper and Kane having the best match on the broadcast prior to the main event is a little disturbing, though. However, WWE did a nice job hyping the TLC PPV. Each bout has a sense of purpose and the show looks good on paper. There are a couple of hit or miss matches on the card, but the Championship bouts should be very good if the booking team police themselves accordingly.

·        After Sunday’s PPV, the blue brand will have a lot of time on their hands because they don’t have another major show until the Royal Rumble in January. Unless the creative team have a few tricks up their sleeve to keep things lively on Tuesday nights, the Winter Blues will be in full effect. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Fingers crossed!

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