WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 998
#SDLive
Original Air Date: October 2, 2018
Event Date: October 2, 2018 (aired live)
City: Portland, OR
Venue: Moda Center
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Ring Area
Already in the ring, Paige says that Samoa Joe was way out of line last week when he visited AJ Styles’ house. She says Joe should be fired, and upper-management agrees. Before firing Joe though, she called AJ Styles. Styles said he had dropped the charges against Joe and wanted Paige to refrain from firing him. Styles wanted to punish Joe in the ring, so Paige agreed. Paige then introduces a taped message from AJ Styles.
Video
From his home, AJ Styles says he can’t perform tonight given the circumstances. The thing with him and Joe is bigger than the WWE, and Styles doesn’t want to do something he would regret. Styles says he will not leave his home until he has confirmation that Samoa Joe is on a plane headed to Australia. Styles’ family needs him. But at Super Show-Down, Styles intends to bury Joe alive.
Match 1
Fabulous Truth vs Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Carmella forces Zelina Vega to submit to the Code of Silence
Time: 9:53
Match Thoughts
Good match. I had fun with this. The team of Carmella and R-Truth is highly entertaining, and ALmas and Vega are two of my favorite people right now. There was some dancing, some nice wrestling sequences, and a very fine ending to this match. I liked it a lot.
Backstage
Tye Dillinger informs Paige that he wants Randy Orton. Paige asks Dillinger if he knows what he’s asking for. Dillinger doesn’t care about how dangerous Orton can be, so Paige makes the match.
Ring Area
New Day heads to the ring with Mr. Bootyworth. Set up in the ring is a table with various pancake ingredients. Big E informs everyone that this is the premiere episode of “New Day Cooks.” Before cooking, Woods and Kingston talk about their upcoming match with The Bar. New Day has had problems with Sheamus and Cesaro lately, so they need a dose of positivity tonight. Kingston introduces Mr. Bootyworth as the person who cooks all the pancakes New Day carries to the ring every week. As Bootyworth is about to reveal the recipe, The Bar interrupts.
As they walk towards the ring, Sheamus and Cesaro talk about how it’s no surprise that New Day is in the ring acting childish again. But The Bar has come to help New Day with their cooking show. Sheamus helps by dumping the table over. A brawl erupts, and The Bar dominates. With New Day down, The Bar shift their focus to Mr. Bootyworth. Cesaro dumps pancake batter into Bootyworth’s top hat, and Sheamus puts the hat on Bootyworth’s head. Cesaro dumps more batter on Bootyworth before yelling at him to leave the ring. The Bar then celebrates.
Ring Area
In the ring, Tye Dillinger is ready for a match. Randy Orton heads to the ring, but before the opening bell rings, Dillinger attacks Orton out on the floor. The two men brawl in and around the ring, and Dillinger drops Orton on the announce table. Dillinger seems to be winning the fight until Orton hits Dillinger with a draping DDT from the barricade to the floor. With Dillinger dazed, Orton pushes Dillinger’s finger into the gap of a turnbuckle. Orton pulls back on Dillinger’s finger, causing Dillinger to writhe in pain. Orton walks away as referees attend to Dillinger.
Backstage
The Miz tells Shelton Benjamin “you’re welcome” for getting him a match with Daniel Bryan. Miz asks Benjamin if he’s going to beat “goat boy,” to which Benjamin says “yes.” Benjamin is tired of sitting on the bench and has been waiting for an opportunity to remind everyone how great he is. Bryan is just unfortunate casualty number one.
Backstage
Aiden English checks with a crew member to make sure everything is properly prepared for his big reveal.
Ring Area
Rusev and Lana head to the ring. Rusev wants to tear Aiden English apart for what he’s done recently. But for now, he calls out English so he can show everyone whatever evidence he has.
Aiden English comes out to the stage. Before he shows his video footage, English begins to give everyone a lesson on Milwaukee. Lana wants English to quit stalling, but English says he’s simply providing context. Many movies and TV shows have been produced in Milwaukee, but “One Night in Milwaukee” is the most anticipated premiere in years. He finally shows the footage.
Video
In what appears to be a hotel room, Aiden English practices singing in front of a stationary camera. There is a knock on the door. It’s Lana. Lana says she has been wanting to tell Aiden something. She says to Aiden, “I want you,” and the video abruptly stops.
Ring Area
Aiden English says he wants to show the rest of the footage, but he can’t. Rusev is upset. Lana tells him that the footage “is not everything,” but that only makes Rusev more upset. Rusev leaves the ring and chases Aiden to the backstage area.
Backstage
Rusev searches for Aiden English. Lana stops Rusev. She wants to explain what the video didn’t show, but Rusev doesn’t want to hear it right now.
Match 2
Daniel Bryan vs Shelton Benjamin
(referee: Ryan Tran)
Result: Shelton Benjamin wins via pinfall after Paydirt (and a distraction from The Miz)
Time: 9:11
Match Thoughts
Good match. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Benjamin in the ring, and he looked pretty good here. He was kind of used as a prop in the Bryan/Miz feud, but I hope his performance here will lead to some more TV time.
Ring Area
After the match, The Miz attacks Daniel Bryan. Miz runs Bryan into the announce table multiple times before rolling him into the ring. Miz hits Bryan with the Skull Crushing Finale in the center of the ring.
Ring Area
In the ring, Naomi introduces a video of WWE joining forces with Susan G. Komen. After the video Naomi is joined in the ring by Dana Warrior, Dr. Toni Storm-Dickerson, Janine Wolf, and Lt. Caprice Massey.
Match 3
Asuka w/ Naomi vs Peyton Royce w/ Billie Kay
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Asuka wins via submission with a modified leg trap Asuka Lock
Time: 3:32 (joined in progress)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. I liked how Peyton Royce had a lot of counters for Asuka’s moves, but Asuka was pretty dominant regardless.
Ring Area
Becky Lynch heads to the ring. Becky gloats about making the SD Women’s Title the most relevant title in the WWE. Being kind and patient gets you nothing, but now Becky is relentless. She then shows some footage of herself being relentless.
Becky says she still isn’t getting the respect she deserves. She’s the champ, but Charlotte is the one on magazine covers, billboards, and PPV posters. If no one else will give her those things, she’ll take them herself. With that in mind, Becky reveals a new poster for Super Show-Down. It’s a poster of Becky, by herself, in front of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Charlotte runs down to the ring and attacks Becky. After a brief brawl, Charlotte throws Becky into her new poster. Charlotte punishes Becky and leaves her rolling around in the ring as the show ends.
Show Impressions
Despite being light on wrestling, I liked this show alright. There was nothing major going on here, but the segments were all entertaining in their own ways. The only thing I didn’t really care for was the Rusev/Lana/English segment, but that’s just because I think the story is super dumb. So dumb.
Also, Byron Saxton probably gave me the biggest laugh of the night. When The Bar interrupted New Day before Mr. Bootyworth could say anything, Byron was sad, saying he wanted Bootywoth to “penetrate his ears.” Graves tried to continue, but you could see him break down in laughter right after that. I watched it like five times in a row.
Match of the Night
Faulous Truth vs Almas & Vega
I had a lot of fun with this.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2018-10-02