October 4, 2016
Episode 894
(aired live)
City: San Diego, CA
Venue: Valley View Casino Center
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, JBL, David Otunga
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Video
Tonight, before their match at No Mercy, Cena, Ambrose, and Styles will come face to face to face.
Match 1
Bray Wyatt vs Kane
(referee: Ryan Tran)
Result: Kane wins via countout
Time: 4:20
Match Thoughts
This wasn’t so much a match as it was a way for Randy Orton to do some fancy video editing and distract Bray with the tron. This was all story, and I’m still not that into it.
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Baron Corbin about Jack Swagger. Corbin thinks Swagger is dumb. Swagger walks up and challenges Corbin.
Backstage
Bray Wyatt walks and talks to himself.
Match 2
Alexa Bliss vs Nikki Bella
(referee: Dan Engler; guest commentary: Carmella)
Result: The match ends in a no contest when Carmella interferes
Time: 1:50
Match Thoughts
Not much of a match. This was just a prelude to making it a tag match. Nikki and Alexa were fairly even until Nikki threw Alexa onto Carmella at the announce table. After getting back into the ring, Carmella enters and the match is called off.
Ring Area
Becky Lynch runs to the ring to help even the odds for Nikki.
** During the break, Daniel Bryan makes a tag match. **
Match 3
Alexa Bliss & Carmella vs Nikki Bella & Becky Lynch (SmackDown Women’s Champ)
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Alexa Bliss pins Becky Lynch after Twisted Bliss
Time: 4:04 (joined in progress)
Match Thoughts
A fine match. It was mostly Nikki getting beat up until Becky came in for the save, but it did its job in promoting the feuds between Becky and Alexa as well as Nikki and Carmella.
Backstage
Bray Wyatt searches for Orton but finds a rocking chair. He goes up to it and gets locked in a metal box by Orton.
Ring Area
Daniel Bryan makes his way to the ring with some breast cancer survivors from Susan G. Komen. He presents them each with a SmackDown Women’s Title belt.
Match 4
The Vaudevillains vs Hype Bros
(referee: Charles Robinson)
Result: Mojo Rawley pins Aiden English after Hype Ryder
Time: 3:52
Match Thoughts
A pretty good match. It was one-sided, but the Hype Bros did look pretty good (despite the debut of Mojo’s “Hammer Time.”)
Ring Area
Already in the ring The Miz (with Maryse) welcomes us to Miz TV: A Dolphumentary. Dolph Ziggler then joins Miz in the ring, and Miz shows a video package about the failures of Dolph Ziggler. Back in the ring, Ziggler explains that for every ten embarrassing moments he’ll always have that one magical moment. That’s why he can’t quit.
The Miz responds by saying that with their match on Sunday, Ziggler’s career is already over. He then brings out two former members of The Spirit Squad, Kenny and Mikey. They perform a cheer before attacking Dolph. Ziggler gets up and superkicks Kenny and Mikey, but misses Miz.
Backstage
Still trapped in a box, Bray Wyatt laughs and talks to himself. He sits down.
Video
Celebrating Roberto Clemente for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Match 5
Jason Jordan w/ Chad Gable vs Jey Uso w/ Jimmy Uso
(referee: Ryan Tran)
Result: Jason Jordan wins via pinfall with a counter to a rollup
Time: 1:18
Match Thoughts
Not much of a match. Jordan was angry which allowed Jey to slowly get the upper-hand, but Jordan’s technical skills made this a short match.
Ring Area
After the match. Jimmy attacks Gable at ringside. Jey chop-blocks Jordan and sets him up for an injury when Slater and Rhyno run to the ring got make the save.
Backstage
Bray Wyatt is now singing to himself while slowly rocking. He then starts talking to Abigail and reaches his hand out to no one.
Backstage
We’re back from a commercial break. Outside the box, Orton opens the door. The rocking chair is there. but Bray isn’t. Orton isn’t happy about that.
Video
A video package showing clips of John Cena’s convincing monologue from last week’s Talking Smack.
Video
More Curt Hawkins facts as told by Curt Hawkins:
When Curt Hawkins goes swimming, sharks beach themselves.
Amelia Earhart got lost searching for Curt Hawkins.
There’s a covert branch of the United States government known as the CIA: Curt In Action.
Match 6
Jack Swagger vs Baron Corbin
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Jack Swagger wins via submission with a Patriot Lock (though Corbin was actually reaching for the rope)
Time: 4:51 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. The ending makes it memorable for being an interesting call. Obviously this will lead to more between these two.
Ring Area
AJ Styles makes his way to the ring. He says that SmackDown is the land of opportunity. After all, he had the opportunity to beat Cena and Ambrose, both of which he did. He now has the opportunity to beat them both at the same time. That’s when Dead Ambrose heads to the ring.
Ambrose call AJ names and accuses him of taking the low road. But he’s more mad at Cena right now. That’s when Cena heads to the ring.
Before Cena can speak, Styles tells him to shut up. He tells Cena that he will never be in the same conversation as Ric Flair, but he shouldn’t be worried about Flair’s legacy. He should by worried about Styles. Cena chases history, but Styles makes history.
Cena is about to speak when Ambrose cuts him off. He calls Cena the “master of the political spin.” He accuses Cena of cutting the legs out from underneath anyone who is a threat to him. Abrose talks about how he’s taken no days off and is always in the ring. Ambrose is real, John Cena is just a character.
Cena says “talk is cheap” and attacks. He clears the ring, but Styles makes it back in and takes Cena down. Styles grabs his belt and leaves the ring. On the outside, Ambrose attacks Styles from behind and hits Dirty Deeds on the steel ramp. Ambrose is the last one standing, holding Styles’ title belt.
Show Impressions
This show very much felt like the last one before a PPV. Not a lot of new developments took place. Still, the Miz/Ziggler and Styles/Cena/Ambrose segments did a very good job of building interest in those matches.
Once again, I didn’t care about the Wyatt/Orton stuff. It really went nowhere.
I do like that all the matches on the PPV seemed to be touched upon. They packed a lot into this episode.
Match of the Night
Jack Swagger vs Baron Corbin
The “controversial” finish helps this one. Also, most of the matches on this show were fairly short and kind of forgettable.