WWE SmackDown Score (09/10/21): THAT was Sports Entertainment
WWE returned to the hollow halls of Madison Square Garden Friday night for a special “Super SmackDown” on the eve of the 20th anniversary of one of the darkest days in the history of the United States.
The show was incredible, but before I get to how much this show rocked, I wanted to point attention to the new WWE documentary: “Never Forget: WWE Returns After 9/11”. The doc goes in depth about why WWE made the decision to host SmackDown on a live Thursday in Houston, TX, two days after the attack, and how WWE became the first public gathering event post 9/11. Vince McMahon’s speech to open the show about freedom, and America never backing down to terriarism was one of the most powerful speeches in the history of our country, and it was truly moving. On 09/13/2001, WWE did what it always does: Entertain the fans.
If you haven’t seen the documentary, please take 35 minutes out of your busy schedules and tune in. You won’t regret it. WWE always does great work with their documentaries, but this one was special for many reasons.
Lastly, and most importantly, America changed 20 years ago today. I was only two years old at the time, so I don’t remember the day like many do, but I understand the significance of the day for many, and I empathize with those who lost a loved one in the horrible tragedy.
The link to the documentary is below.
Now, let’s get into the Sept, 10, 2021 version of Friday Night SmackDown!
Heyman F’ed up
Following an emotional opening video paying tribute to 9/11, the “Head of the Table”, his cousins and his Special Counsel made their way to the squared circle to kick off what was soon to become an epic evening. The “Tribal Chief” said he runs MSG, he runs WWE, and he runs sports entertainment (shot at AEW?!). He asked MSG to acknowledge him, and MSG surprisingly was split down the middle with cheers and boos. However, most of those cheers for the Universal Champion immediately went to the “Beast Incarnate” because his music hit the speakers, and everybody in the building, including Pat McAfee went insane!
Lesnar came down looking like a man ready to kick some ass! McAfee said if aliens were attacking us, Lesnar would be the only person who could stop them (excellent analysis Mr. McAfee)! Lesnar simply asked Heyman why he didn’t tell Reigns he was going to be in Vegas at SummerSlam, and the crowd and “Tribal Chief” lost it. Heyman tried to reason with the champion and the Usos, but they left Heyman high and dry in the ring as the crowd chanted, “YOU F’ed UP” at Heyman, causing FOX to actually cut the crowd audio!
That left Lesnar and his former advocate in the ring. Heyman did his usual, “My name is Paul Heyman, and I am the advocate for the reigning, defending, undisputed, WWE heavyweight champion of the world, BROCK LESNARRRRRR” sticke. Lesnar said that was good to hear, but if Heyman didn’t give him a Universal Title match in five seconds, he was gonna suffer the consequences. Heyman wouldn’t accept, so Lesnar actually attempted to give his friend of 20 plus years an F-5, but Reigns came in and delivered a Superman Punch to the “Beast”, getting Heyman down to safety but leaving the Usos vulnerable for a trip to “Suplex City”.
After the segment of the year, we see Reigns, the Usos and Heyman backstage walking to the locker room of the “Head of the Table”. Kayla Braxton tries to get a word with them, and Heyman tells her Reigns will answer Lesnar’s challenge after the Usos defend their tag titles against the Street Profits in the main event.
Right before their tag team title defense, we see Reigns wish his cousins good luck. As the Usos leave the locker room, the “Tribal Chief” asks Heyman again why he didn’t tell him about Lesnar. Heyman is so nervous he just says he doesn’t know. Reigns tells Heyman he saved him, not only once, but twice. Heyman, shaken up, says he knows, and he just wants to help the “Tribal Chief” however he can. Reigns doesn’t respond as the main event gets underway.
The match was spectacular. Right before the last commercial of the night, Reigns and Heyman made their way down to the ring after originally watching from the back once Montez Ford took a dive to the outside and took out both Usos (Does this show Reigns doesn’t trust his cousins to get the job done?!) The ending saw the Usos double team Dawkins with superkicks as Ford was down on the outside. Jey Uso hit the splash, and I thought it was three, but Dawkins rose his shoulder off the canvas somehow!
Then, Dawkins hit Jey with his neck breaker, tagged in Ford, and Ford flew from the heavens. It looked like we were going to have new tag champs, but Reigns slid in the ring and locked in the guillotine on Ford as the Usos held Dawkins hostage. The Universal Champion grabbed a microphone and said he’s not afraid of anyone, and he’s gonna take out the “Beast” right after he’s through with Finn Balor.
Then, it happened.
The lights turned red in MSG and out came DEMON FINN BALOR to a HUGE POP. The crowd chanted “HOLY SH*T” as the “Demon” and the “Tribal Chief” starred down to end the best SmackDown in a long time!
So one, Heyman DID know Lesnar was showing up at SummerSlam! Why did he not tell the “Tribal Chief”?! Unless he is telling the truth he didn’t know, and Lesnar is just using it as a ploy to cause dissension between Reigns and Heyman to throw Reigns off his game?! It’s possible!
Two, as I typed above, does Reigns not trust the Usos anymore to get the job done on their own?! He has interfered in more and more of their matches lately. I guess in Reigns’ mind the only person who can get the job done is the “Head of the Table”, and it makes sense. After all, he does provide for the entire Bloodline.
Three, Demon Finn Balor is so cool! McAfee lost his mind and so did I! It’s been over two years since the Demon has appeared and after not seeing him for a while, it felt fresh.
Four, I think there’s a 99.9% chance Reigns retains at Extreme Rules, but there’s always that .1% chance, and the match should be great! I’m curious as to what stipulation is added, if any.
Five, the biggest question I have for Lesnar and Reigns is when does the match take place? Saudi in October? Survivor Series? Do they draft Lesnar over to RAW and save this mega matchup for the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania due to Big E and Seth Rollins (who we will get to shortly) looming over Reigns’ head after he puts the “Demon” to sleep?
Six, this is all great stuff and great storytelling. The possibilities are endless! This is sports entertainment at its best!
Every dog has its day
The SummerSlam rematch between Edge and Seth Rollins was going to deliver. We all knew that. With the storied past between the two, and their (almost) match of the night in Vegas on Aug. 21, Edge vs Rollins II in MSG with Edge’s first match in the famous arena for the first time in 11 years was bound for greatness, and it delivered in every way!
Instead of attacking the neck of the “Rated-R Superstar” Rollins went after Edge’s knee while Edge attacked the shoulder of the “Drip God”. It was a completely different match than SummerSlam, and it’s what this rivalry needed. Both men took it slow, trying to play mind games with each other early on. Rollins would go for an Edge-O-Matic without succeeding while Edge would hit a Pedigree on Rollins (Get better soon Triple H!).
The “Master Manipulator” would connect with an Edgecution and Spear on the “Architect” but Rollins wouldn’t die! Towards the end of the contest, Edge would back Rollins into the corner and as Referee Jessica Carr would get in between the two superstars to break up the collar and elbow tie up, Rollins would Edge in the cahoots, bringing the 11-time World Champion and Hall of Famer down to a knee.
This brings us to the climax of the feud. Rollins would Superkick Edge over and over, each time Edge slowly going down to the mat but not fully. On the final blow, Edge would look at Rollins with a different look in his eyes. Edge knew Rollins had him, but he refused to give in. He saw the look in Rollins’ eyes. It’s the same look Edge had years ago when he was the monster heel in 2006, taking out John Cena. You could see in Edge’s eyes he knew he was done.
Rollins screamed at him, “WHY WON’T YOU DIE!” before delivering the final kick and a Curbstomp to the back of Edge’s surgically repaired neck.
It was at this moment Rollins knew what he had done. Edge was laying motionless in the middle of the squared circle. Michael Cole and McAfee were selling it like Edge had died! The Stomp is such a vicious move. It took out Cesaro, and now a Hall of Famer who lost a decade of his career because of his neck.
Rollins — like a turtle — moved into the cover for the one, two, three. Immediately after the bell rang, doctors and medical crew ran towards the aid of Edge as SmackDown headed to break.
When the show returned from commercial, we see Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce rushing with the EMT’s to get Edge into the ambulance. Rey Mysterio, one of Edge’s real-life friends, being there was a nice touch. As the ambulance leaves, we see Megan Morant asking Rollins about his actions. Rollins said he should feel bad, but he feels no emotion.
So, we know the history of Rollins and Mysterio, and we could see a match between the two, but I don’t know if this is the direction the story goes. Now that Edge is out of the “Drip God’s” way, he’s probably going after the Universal Championship soon. After all, it’s what the story was all about.
As for Edge, he was put down like a wounded dog, but you know when he returns, he’s going to want one more match with Rollins, and he still has his eyes on the “Tribal Chief” and the Universal Title. He was screwed out of the title at Money in the Bank by Rollins. He thought he put Rollins behind him at SummerSlam. Now, he’s back on the shelf. How does this affect his plans for when he returns?!
Again, sports entertainment at its finest, folks!
The Man Reluctantly Signs the Contract for Extreme Rules
The “EST” couldn’t wait till Pearce and Deville got in the ring to sign the contract for her SmackDown Women’s Championship rematch at Extreme Rules. I like how she signed the dotted line before the “Man” even made her entrance.
When “Big Match Becks” finally did appear in MSG, she came out with a big heavy red coat, which McAfee pointed to the way Joe Nammath did after the Jets won Super Bowl III, and sunglasses. Lynch asked Deville and Pearce what would happen if she didn’t sign the contract, and Pearce and Deville didn’t have any of it. This is when Beliar cut the promo that confirmed her role as the face in the feud.
She said Lynch didn’t want to face her because she knew she couldn’t beat her one-on-one without sneaking up behind her. She explained that Lynch may have caught her by surprise at SummerSlam, but Lynch knows Beliar can beat her, and she’s scared.
Lynch countered by confirming her rule as the heel. She said she heard the crowd chanting, “We Want Becky” for months, and now she’s back, she’s not treated like a star, and MSG needs to show her some respect! She’s the original main event of Wrestlemania, and she needs to be treated like one. MSG booed her loudly. The “Man” signed the contract and threw it back in Beliar’s face to end the segment.
I was glad the contract signing didn’t turn into an out-of-control mess like usual. WWE even acknowledges this as a running joke now. I was surprised the “Boss” didn’t make her return here and set up a triple threat for Extreme Rules, but a Lynch-Beliar one-on-one battle at Extreme Rules will be a ton of fun!
They are arguably the two biggest stars in the business right now on the women’s side. They’re definitely in a better feud than Charlotte Flair is with Alexa Bliss over on the RAW brand. Beliar has been pushed like a star as a babyface, but she doesn’t take crap, which I like. These women may steal the show at Extreme Rules on Sept. 26 in Columbus, OH. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s a stipulation added as this will be Lynchs’ first real match in nearly a year and a half, so a stipulation may be risky, even though the Pay-Per-View is Extreme Rules. I’m also curious to see if the “Blueprint” returns and costs Beliar the title, setting up the triple threat down the line.
Big E, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rick Boogs and the Mysterio’s Defeat Apollo Crews, Otis, Sami Zayn and the Dirty Dawgz
Zayn appeared in a Kevin Knox jersey and wrestled in pajama pants! He even cut Rick BOOGSSSSSSS entrance short and brought out TRAE BLEEPING YOUNG to troll the MSG crowd! What a heel!
TRAE BLEEPING YOUNG even got EJECTED after ringing Rey Mysterio near the ropes! McAfee went crazy for Young and was great! After the faces and heels brawled, it left Big E to deliver a Big Ending to Zayn for the win in a fun match! Sports entertainment? Yes sir!
Afterwards in the ring, Kayla Braxton asked E what’s next for him. He said no matter if its Reigns or the “All Mighty” WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, they better pay attention because he’s getting sick of carrying the briefcase around. Later in the night, E once again laughed at Heyman and showed him the briefcase, reminding him he’s another threat to his “Tribal Chief”.
I’m on record E should cash in on Lashley and move over to RAW in the draft next month. Lashley has really no other face challengers, hence the reason why the tag team champions are in a WWE Title feud. The cash in would be a bigger deal on the red brand as E could avenge his brother Kofi’s loss to the “All Mighty” at Money in the Bank. Reigns just has too many challengers to have E cash in on him.
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Early in the night when MSG was rocking, McAfee said it was an “OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE” to be there live, and that’s how I felt watching on TV, so I could only imagine how it felt to be in the world’s most famous arena. WWE did an amazing job at making this show, and the venue of MSG, feel special again. The last couple times WWE has been at MSG it just felt like another show, but that was not the case for the Sept. 10, 2021 edition of Friday Night SmackDown!
EVERYTHING RULED, and I CAN’T WAIT for next Friday! This was supposed to be a “Super Show” with RAW superstars! There wasn’t even enough time for Happy Corbin, a women’s match, or the Naomi-Deville storyline, let alone an appearance from a RAW superstar! It does look like John Cena appeared once SmackDown went off the air to send the MSG crowd home happy though!
THAT, ladies and gentleman, was sports entertainment, and a great way for WWE to pay tribute to the victims of the horrendous tragedy that happened two decades ago.
GRADE: A+
