WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 1002
#SDLive
Original Air Date: October 30, 2018
Event Date: October 30, 2018 (aired live)
City: Atlanta, GA
Venue: State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena)
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Ring Area
AJ Styles heads to the ring. He’d like to get something off his chest, so he invites Daniel Bryan to the ring. Bryan obliges.
Styles apologizes to Bryan for kicking him last week. Bryan doesn’t need an apology. They’re both going for the same prize after all. Bryan respects Styles, but he doesn’t see a friend or a colleague right now. All Bryan sees is the WWE Title. The title is the goal that drove him to come back to the ring, and the only thing standing in his way right now is AJ Styles.
Styles says he wasn’t finished talking. Styles says he meant to kick Bryan last week, and he looks forward to doing it again this Friday. Bryan isn’t shocked. Bryan also doesn’t lie, and he says he wants to hit Styles right now. Styles says why not have their title match right now? Bryan is cool with that.
Shane McMahon comes out to the stage. Shane says we’ve seen this before. Champs and challengers often want to have their match early, but it never seems to happen that way. He says that tonight it will happen. Right now.
Match 1
WWE Title Match
Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles (WWE Champ)
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: AJ Styles wins via submission with the calf crusher
Time: 18:01 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Great match. I loved the counters and reversals, and I really enjoyed the psychology of the match. Bryan hurt his knee on a dive early in the match, and Styles was relentless in his attack on Bryan’s leg throughout the match. That set the narrative thread for the action, and the match built up to a really good finish.
Ring Area
After the match, Samoa Joe attacks both Bryan and Styles. Joe focuses on pummeling Styles and puts him in the Coquina Clutch. Bryan attacks Joe, but Joe manages to put Bryan in the Coquina Clutch as well. Afterwards, Joe holds the WWE Title up in the air.
Backstage
Jeff Hardy quotes Banksy and talks about the risks he’s taken to create his self portrait. WWE Crown Jewel will be his masterpiece.
Backstage
The Miz talks about being the best husband, father, and reality star. In the WWE World Cup, he’ll prove he’s the best superstar in the world as well.
Backstage
Paige welcomes Charlotte and says her match last night was great. Paige also asks Charlotte if she’ll be the captain of the SmackDown women’s team at Survivor Series. Charlotte politely declines, saying she isn’t the right woman for the job. Paige tells Charlotte to think about it.
Video
A promo video for DX versus the Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel.
Match 2
Trick or Street Fight
Big E w/ Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston vs Cesaro (SD Tag Champ) w/ Sheamus (SD Tag Champ), Big Show
(referee: Ryan Tran)
Result: Big E wins via pinfall after the Big Ending
Time: 4:04 (joined in progress)
Match Thoughts
This was silly, chaotic, and fun. Everyone was involved and it was kind of a big mess, but I liked it. New Day dressed as The Brood, and the red mist did come into play during the course of the match.
Backstage
Shane McMahon Talks with The Miz, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio. He wonders which of them is going to win the WWE World Cup. Everyone has something to say, which basically comes down to each of them saying that they’ll win.
Shane loves the intensity. He lets everyone know that SmackDown winning the World Cup is of the utmost importance to him. Whoever makes it to finals, if they lose, they will be fired.
Backstage
AJ Styles tells Paige that he wants Samoa Joe at Crown Jewel. Paige is frustrated, but she gives Styles what he wants.
Match 3
Shinsuke Nakamura (US Champ) vs R-Truth w/ Carmella
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Shinsuke Nakamura wins via pinfall after Kinshasa
Time: 6:49
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was solid from both guys.
Backstage
Becky Lynch prepares to head to the ring.
Ring Area
Becky Lynch heads to the ring. She gloats about being the last woman standing and defeating Charlotte. Beating Charlotte proved that Becky Lynch is “the man.” So who’s next? Ronda Rousey? Becky says she’s traveled the world to smash people like Rousey. She’s headed to Survivor Series to rip Ronda Rousey’s arm off.
Video
A promo for Braun Strowman versus Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at Crown Jewel.
Backstage
Samoa Joe wonders if AJ Styles really thought they were done. They’re not. The final chapter will be written in their story when Joe takes the WWE Title.
Match 4
The Miz & Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy & Rey Mysterio
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Jeff Hardy pins The Miz after a swanton bomb
Time: 8:36
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was a fun way to end the show.
Show Impressions
The WWE Title match definitely made this feel like an important show. The matches were good and/or fun, and this show felt like it did a lot more to get people interested in Crown Jewel than RAW did.
Match of the Night
WWE Title Match
I’d like to see this match happen again.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2018-10-30