WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 1000
#SDLive
Original Air Date: October 16, 2018
Event Date: October 16, 2018 (aired live)
City: Washington DC
Venue: Capital One Arena
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Video
The show begins with clips from the history of SmackDown.
Ring Area
R-Truth and Carmella are in the ring for Truth TV. R-Truth is excited to bring the biggest episode in the history of Truth TV to everyone, but Carmella reminds him that they’ve only had one episode. And they were canceled. Regardless, it’s time for a dance break.
R-Truth then welcomes his first guest, Stephanie McMahon. R-Truth begins to ask his first question when Shane McMahon interrupts and heads to the ring. Shane thanks all the fans in attendance and the millions around the world who have made SmackDown and WWE a success.
Stephanie isn’t impressed with Shane’s pandering. She also thinks RAW would start a monumental episode like this with something better than Truth TV. Shane starts to defend Truth TV when Vince McMahon interrupts and heads to the ring.
Vince says no one wants to see Shane and Steph bicker and fight. They want to be entertained. And what’s more entertaining than another dance break? So everyone dances.
Ring Area
AJ Styles heads to the ring. Before he can get halfway down the ramp, Daniel Bryan comes out and also heads to the ring, passing Styles.
Match 1
AJ Styles(WWE Champ) & Daniel Bryan vs The Usos
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Jimmy Uso pins Daniel Bryan after a double superkick
Time: 9:05
Match Thoughts
Good match. As expected, The Usos were a better team while Styles and Bryan had strong individual efforts. The finish involved miscommunication and the hitting of teammates (which was also pretty expected). The result of this match seemed obvious, but it was still fun to watch. These guys are all great.
Backstage
Paige welcomes Vickie Guerrero, but Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis crash their party.
Ring Area
Evolution heads to the ring. Triple H wonders how you accomplish 1,000 episodes. You do so by evolving. How do you celebrate 1,000 episode? You bring back the group that epitomizes evolution.
Ric Flair is excited to be here tonight. Randy Orton says Evolution was just a start for him. He has evolved beyond what he started with Evolution, and he’s only going to keep getting better. Batista is a little nervous to be back in the ring. Regardless, he’s going to ignore Randy Orton and enjoy his time here.
Batista has come up with four things to say. First, he’s happy to be here for the brand he helped build. Second, because WWE is in his hometown tonight. Third, he’s here for all of the fans. And fourth, he’s here because of the other men in the ring. Evolution is special. Batista goes on to compliment Randy Orton, saying he’s one of the most talented men in WWE. Batista reminisces with Ric Flair about some times he can’t talk about on TV. He also says that Triple H is wrestling, and that there’s nothing he hasn’t done… except for beating Batista.Triple H gets hot, but they hug it out. Orton seems disappointed (he seemed excited about a fight).
Match 2
WWE World Cup Qualifying Match
The Miz vs Rusev w/ Lana
(referee: Charles Robinson; guest commentary: Kurt Angle)
Result: The Miz wins via pinfall with a schoolboy after a distraction from Aiden English
Time: 0:43
Match Thoughts
This wasn’t a match so much as it was a plot point for the ongoing Rusev/Aiden English feud.
Ring Area
After the match, Lana kicks Aiden English in the crotch. Rusev attacks English, slamming him into the ring steps and onto the announce table.
Backstage
Curt Hawkins holds up a phone with Zack Ryder’s number pulled up. Edge indicates that he doesn’t want Hawkins to make the call.
Ring Area
Tony Chimel announces Edge as he heads to the ring for The Cutting Edge. Edge says he has always tried to live his life huge, and it doesn’t get much more huge than SmackDown 1000. Edge talks about some of his historic moments on SmackDown.
Edge says that he has been watching something happen over the last few weeks on SmackDown, and he wanted to come onto the show to be a “moral compass.” With that said, he welcomes Becky Lynch to the ring. Edge says he understands what Becky Lynch is thinking and what she’s going through. Edge wasn’t supposed to be the face of WWE, and he had to fight for every inch he gained in the company. He understands, but he thinks Becky is making a mistake by throwing away her friendship with Charlotte. Edge did the same thing, and he knows that the choices Becky is making will stain her soul. It ends with Becky all alone, and she won’t even like herself.
Becky says Edge is correct. Becky doesn’t like herself… she loves herself. She tells Edge to stop being so condescending and to leave her ring. She also tells Edge to make sure he doesn’t hurt his neck again on the way out.
Charlotte Flair heads to the ring. She says Becky might love herself, but she’s also going to love what Charlotte does to her right now. The two women brawl until officials manage to separate them.
Backstage
Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy are happy to see each other.
Match 3
SmackDown Tag Title Match
The Bar vs Big E & Xavier Woods w/ Kofi Kingston (SD Tag Champs)
(referee: Danilo Anfibio; guest commentary table: Jerry Lawler, Booker T)
Result: Sheamus pins Big E after the Brogue Kick (and a distraction from Big Show), The Bar becomes the new SD Tag Champs
Time: 9:39 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. As usual, these two teams work very well together. There were some very hard hits in the middle of the match, including Big E slamming Cesaro directly on the back of his head with a side slam out of the corner. The finish was a big spectacle, though I wonder what it is going to lead to.
Selfie Promo
John Cena says that he wouldn’t be where he is today without SmackDown, and SmackDown wouldn’t be here without the fans.
Match 4
WWE World Cup Qualifying Match
Rey Mysterio vs Shinsuke Nakamura (US Champ)
(referee: Charles Robinson)
Result: Rey Mysterio wins via pinfall after a springboard frog splash
Time: 5:53 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was fast-paced and fun. Both men looked good, but the excitement of seeing Rey back in a WWE ring seemed to carry this match to its conclusion. I’m still waiting for them to give Nakamura something to do on SmackDown.
Ring Area
The Undertaker heads to the ring. He (again) has three words for DX: Rest in Peace.
Show Impressions
This was a fun show. Thankfully it had some good matches among all the nostalgia, something that RAW 25 struggled with. I did enjoy all the special appearances. Batista in particular stood out. It was good to see him, though I don’t really want him to get back in the ring.
I also really liked what Edge did for Becky and Charlotte. It felt a lot like what Mick Foley did for Charlotte and Sasha Banks prior to their Hell in a Cell match.
Match of the Night
SD Tag Title Match
I think this was the most exciting match of the night.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/smackdown-1000-2018-10-16