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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Oct. 31, 2017) from Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for next month in Houston, Texas.
Advertised for tonight: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens for a spot on the Survivor Series team, Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler in a two-out-of-three falls match, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR OCT. 31
Hear the voices, see the faces, feel the chill of the fog rolling. Let me bring you tales of terror. Let me bring you the macabre tale of Hallows Eve. Let me bring you terror; fear grips your heart as you've never known. Hallows Eve! Let me bring you horror; shock grips your soul as you've never known. Lay your ear to the floor and I'll liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with the SmackDown intro video.
Live in the arena, Shane McMahon makes his entrance. He wishes Norfolk a Happy Halloween before talking up Survivor Series and saying a lot of people have been asking why SmackDown laid siege to Monday Night Raw, and the answer is simple and goes back a long way. Since Raw has been around-- and it's approaching its 25th anniversary, and that's a big deal-- but Raw has always looked at SmackDown as the inferior brand.
And unfortunately that still stays around from the very top all the way down to the very lowest part of the Raw common denominator. He asks what the one thing they can do to change this perception, and what they did, despite all odds, they gathered a team, put Daniel Bryan as general manager, went live and created the land of opportunity, but that wasn't quite enough.
So, what's the one thing they could do to change this perception? They had a team meeting with most of the SmackDown roster and came up with the idea of putting Raw under siege and kicking them right in the mouth. They did that, and he thanks everyone who comes to the events and tunes into the TV show, the entire roster, he thanks everybody even tangentially connected to SmackDown and says they've got heart.
Daniel Bryan went to Raw last night to explain their point of view, and how was he treated? He was disrespected, locked in an office, and set up to be beat up by his former tag team partner Kane. And where was Kurt Angle then? Where was Stephanie McMahon? They didn't care, they just put him on a slab and stretchered him out. Shane says there'll be hell to pay for that, and come Survivor Series, Kurt Angle said he's bringing his gold medal?
Bring your medal, bring your monster among men Braun Strowman, and pick your other three Raw superstars, because you're gonna meet Randy Orton, three of SmackDown's finest, and as of right now, Shane McMahon is going to be the team captain. He'll see them in the ring. Enough talk, time for action, let's get the show started!
We get entrances for our first Survivor Series qualifying match of the night and go to break.
Back from commercial and the match is in progress! in time for the bell!
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown Men's Survivor Series Team Qualifying 2/3 Falls Match)
Circling, Ziggler goes low and picks a leg, adds a half nelson, looking for a cradle but Roode keeps his shoulders off the mat and Dolph switches to a side headlock. Shoot off, shoulder block, drop down into an axehandle and Bobby's rolling. Catches the front kick, looking for the Glorious DDT but Ziggler blocks and does some shoulder thrusts in the corner.
Roode smashes his face in the buckles, whip reversed, boots up, diving blockbuster gets two. A chop to follow, whip reversed but Bobby throws Dolph to the floor and poses. The time lets Ziggler capitalize when Roode heads outside, smashing him into the apron, but the Glorious One whips the Show-Off hard into the barricade after! Back in the ring, Dolph moves first...
Dolph Ziggler earns the first fall by pinfall with a superkick, bringing him to one fall to Roode's zero.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, both men are down and out on the mat and we're informed that Bobby Roode scored the equalizing fall during the break...
Bobby Roode earns the second fall by pinfall with a catapult into the ringpost, evening it up at one fall each.
Trading punches, Roode starts blocking Dolph's and sidesteps the Fameasser to hit the spinning spinebuster... NOPE! Glorious DDT reversed to a backdrop and a rana pin, Bobby kicks out into a sunset flip for two and Dolph hits the huge elevated DDT... NO GOOD! Ziggler lying in wait, beckoning Roode to his feet but he blocks the Zig Zag and hits another spinebuster!
Calling for it, Dolph slips out of the Glorious DDT, hits the Zig Zag... NOT ENOUGH! Ziggler tuning up the band as Bobby crawls up the ropes but he sidesteps the charge, O'Connor roll, reversed, Roode rolls him through...
Bobby Roode earns the third and deciding fall by pinfall with the Glorious DDT, winning the match and earning a spot on SmackDown's men's Survivor Series team.
Roode is interviewed in the ring after about being on Team SmackDown, and he says now there's three members on the team-- Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, and himself, and he just hopes that their next two teammates have the same passion and competitiveness that they do. At Survivor Series, SmackDown up, Raw down, #UnderSiege!
Commentary hypes up our other qualifier between Shinsuke Nakamura and Kevin Owens as well as AJ Styles' match against Samir Singh, and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for a Fright Night Fatal 4-Way on 205 Live tonight and we cut backstage where New Day are dressed up as Jimmy Hart (Xavier Woods), Brother Love (Kofi Kingston), and Akeem the African Dream (Big E) when Rusev and Aiden English roll up to poop their party. New Day stay in character and taunt them about candy when Rusev yells at them about giving out candy to spies from Raw and Xavier says they lead the charge and they're ready to fight no matter how they're dressed.
Rusev calls Halloween a dumb holiday for dumb, dumb, dumb little children, and only one holiday matters now, Rusev day. He dumps out the basket and stomps on the candy! Big E is fighting mad about his candy getting dumped and tells Rusev he done did it now, and he's gonna have a match! Rusev would be elated to, and takes his leave.
Becky Lynch is backstage talking to almost the entire rest of the SmackDown women's roster about how what they did on Raw is just a preview of what they're going to do at Survivor Series. After what happened to Daniel Bryan, they can't take any chances, and if anybody has anything to say, they need them to speak their piece now.
James Ellsworth, dressed in a dogsuit, growls at her, and she says she knew he'd say that, and sprays him down with a bottle of water. Natalya rolls up to tell them to settle their tea kettle and says it's a shame she's not running the show for the SmackDown women. And the thing about teams is there's always a weak link, and Becky needs to ask herself who that is.
Is it Ms. Glow, that she won the title from? Is it Charlotte, who fell short of the title? Flair better not crack under the pressure, or they'll all know who to blame.
Baron Corbin makes his entrance, he has another match against Sin Cara after the break.
Back from commercial in time for Sin Cara's entrance.
Baron Corbin vs. Sin Cara
Collar and elbow, Corbin shoves Cara back and clips him with a knee lift on the charge before trying to tear his mask off. Sin warns him off, ducks a lariat, springboard arm drag connects but he runs right into a big boot that wipes him out. Baron dumps him to the outside and follows after, ramming him into the barricade and choking him against it, again tearing at the mask.
Cara manages to pass him into the barricade, gamengiri knocks Corbin from the apron but he's got a big forearm to cut the suicide dive off with! Back in the ring, again tearing at the mask, dragging Sin by the head and neck, but he's able to roll away and outside for a breather. Cara has a right hand and a spear into the steel steps before mounting the Lone Wolf and raining strikes down on his head!
Another spear, to the kidneys, hammering the back of his head with punches and referee John Cone steps outside to separate them! SIN CARA SPEAR ONTO THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! HE KEEPS HAMMERING...
The match goes to a no contest with Sin Cara beating Baron Corbin down on the floor.
The beatdown continues unmerciful, Sin just throwing wicked punches and kicks at a downed Corbin. HE THREW A CHAIR AT HIM! Baron runs off through the crowd with his tail between his legs.
The Usos are interviewed backstage about Survivor Series, the Day 1s vs. the Hounds of Justice. They already proved they've got the SmackDown tag division on lock, and now they gotta prove that they're the A-team on the B-brand, and come Survivor Series, they're gonna lock the Raw division down and welcome them to the Uso Penitentiary.
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin roll up, Shelton saying the Shield will wrestle the champs, and they just got back from Shane, who made their title match for next week. Gable says when he says Uce, you say no, the Usos got to go, and they're gonna be new tag champs, oh.
Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers are shown walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, the Singh Brothers do their usual big introduction for Jinder Mahal.
Jinder cuts a promo, he says he was unfairly ejected from ringside last week for fear of what he was going to do to AJ Styles, and Brock Lesnar should be feeling that same fear. His advocate can bloviate all he wants, but fear is setting in, and at Survivor Series the Beast will be beaten, victimized, and conquered, and he'll forever be known as the Beastmaster. (No word on if he intends to bring ferrets to the ring with him, alas.)
Mahal begins talking to his people in Punjabi when AJ Styles interrupts with his entrance. (Wait, no, Corey Graves asked if that would make the Singh Brothers like his ferrets, I'll take it.)
AJ Styles vs. Samir Singh
Samir jawing and in with a punch but AJ takes him down and starts throwing punch after punch! A kick connects, he calls for it...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Styles Clash.
Jinder immediately hits the ring and puts boots to Styles! AJ manages to push him away but Sunil grabs his leg and lets Mahal hit a knockout kick and throw Styles into the ringpost hard! Outside, bow-and-arrow over the ringpost, the Phenomenal One screaming agony! Singh puts boots to him until Jinder throws him aside and picks AJ up... KHALLAS! The Maharaja stands tall with the title in hand and seems like he's going to take his leave but he heads back for another Khallas!
In the locker room, Kevin Owens is taping his fists when Sami Zayn rolls up to ask if he believes this. Owens does, and says Shane making himself captain is par for the course. Sami says he doesn't see how, in the land of opportunity, the best ones go to McMahon and the people he likes, like Randy Orton. He won last week using a low blow, what kind of man does that?
And what does Shane do to solve the problem? Nothing. KO says he's gonna make it right tonight by beating Shinsuke Nakamura and leading Team SmackDown to victory at Survivor Series, and then Shane will owe them and they'll get everything they've ever wanted, it'll be their show. Zayn says that's perfect and it'll be the Kevin & Sami Show, to which Owens says it'll be the Sami & Kevin Show.
Commentary informs us that Big E vs. Rusev will be up next, after the break.
Back from commercial we get another Bludgeon Brothers vignette, all heavy breathing and hammers to start before they talk about curing moral decay and weakness with suffering, misery, and anguish.
Rusev and Aiden English are in the ring and Aiden requests complete silence because he's gonna sing us a holiday tune. It's about how Halloween is for little ghouls and adults who act like fools and New Day are banned from Rusev Day, basically.
This leads Big E to do the deal and New Day to make their entrance, thankfully still in their costumes from earlier.
Big E vs. Rusev
Rusev slaps the hat off of E's face and hammers him with punches and kicks before throwing his hat out of the ring! Big catches him into an abdominal stretch off the ropes and spanks him to the beat before throwing him off into a big back elbow and putting boots to the Bulgarian Brute in the corner. Rusev to his feet on the apron, E throws punches to the midsection but Rusev Irish whips him through the ropes, jacking his shoulder!
A whip into the post sends Big to the floor clutching his shoulder and us to break, respectively.
Back from commercial, Rusev is in control with a kneeling armbar, really wrenching it in and changing his positioning to add more pressure. E manages to hip toss him away but Rusev scrambles right back into it. Again Big throws him aside and this time he rallies with the trifecta of belly-to-belly suplexes! Hip swivel, off the ropes, big splash, he scoops Rusev up but the Bulgarian Brute slips away.
Duck the lariat, connect with the roundhouse, E is staggered but able to counter a charge with a HUGE Rock Bottom! Aiden English gets on the mic to sing about Rusev Day, which leads to Xavier playing trombone through his megaphone. English off the announce table with a double axehandle, he runs into the ring and gets caught with the Big Ending! Rusev is ready, however...
Rusev wins by pinfall with the thrust kick.
Rusev and English celebrate up the ramp.
Sin Cara rolls up into an interview backstage. He says the mask is part of him and represents his familia. When he wears the mask he's like a superhero to his children, and tonight Baron Corbin did the most disrespectful thing he can do to a luchador. He tells Corbin he went through hell to get the mask, and he'll go through hell to keep it.
Commentary tells us Strangerer Things will be after the break.
Back from commercial Aiden English rolls up on Shane McMahon in his office. He's sorry about Daniel Bryan but he wants to know how Shane is celebrating the holiday. Not Halloween, but-- (Rusev busts in)-- RUSEV DAY! He put a big L on Big E and Shane is very excited for him. Rusev pitches him for a spot on the Survivor Series team, and McMahon says he'll consider it.
English says they're not here to pitch but Shane cuts him off and says he'll give him an opportunity in a match next week. All he has to do is defeat AJ Styles. McMahon sings "good luck" at him and Aiden gives him the "eh, it was okay" handwave.
It's Strangerer Things time, and Fandango sets a plate of waffles on the floor where a hand reaches out and snatches them. Tyler Breeze rolls up holding a box of Uggos and wearing a dress. Viktor shows up in a wig and Tyler says he looks like he got pulled out of a pool drain when the box the hands came out of vibrates and Tye Dillinger comes out dressed like Tyler. He says he's a ten and walks off with the waffles.
Konnor rolls up dressed as Kane and they attack, which leads to him taking the mask off and pointing out that he told Tyler and still they attack? The lights go out and some Christmas lights turn on, framing a picture of the Bludgeon Brothers. They ask what that means and the sounds of a scuffle echo in the darkness. The lights come back on flickering and a video of someone in a mask turning around plays on a tablet. A distorted voice calls for the games to begin and the show is over.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance, our main event rematch from ROH/NJPW War of the Worlds 2014 will begin after the break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for the Styles/Rusev qualifying match and the tag title match made for next week's show.
Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (SmackDown Men's Survivor Series Team Qualifying Match)
Nakamura in with forearms, a knee in the clinch, a whip but Owens grabs the ropes and bails to the outside. Shinsuke bids him back inside and catches him with a knee that lays him out and follows it up with a knee drop. Good Vibrations in the corner, charging in but Kev has a boot up, he comes off the ropes and gets clobbered by a leg lariat!
To the outside, KO in charge momentarily but Nakamura whips him hard into the barricade to send us to break.
Back from commercial, the King of Strong Style is in control but Owens reverses a whip and catches him with a superkick after an up and over, getting himself a nearfall out of the deal. Mounted punches to the forehead, a stomp, and KO jaws at the crowd while referee Jason Ayers checks on Nakamura. Back at it, stomping at his face, a cover gets two and Kev locks the reverse chinlock on to keep him grounded.
Fighting out with body blows but Owens counters the escape with a DDT for another nearfall before just scraping his forearm bone across Shinsuke's eye. Overhead elbows to the forehead and KO goes back to the chinlock. Nakamura out, off the ropes, he ducks a lariat and hits a big knee. Chest kicks follow, Owens catches one but eats the roundhouse, charging elbow follows and Shinsuke lands the big rope-hung knee lift for a nearfall!
Sami Zayn comes to ringside while Owens is down and Kev takes full advantage, grabbing a schoolboy pin for a nearfall of his own! Roundhouse kick lays him out, Nakamura gets two off of it and draws him up, setting him up in the turnbuckles and climbing to join him. Jockeying for position but it's Owens that hits his avalanche fisherman buster... NO GOOD!
KO throws Nakamura into the ropes but the King of Strong Style counters the powerbomb with a Frankensteiner, rolls through, Kinshasa... NOT ENOUGH! Firing up, lying in wait... but Zayn pulls his pal out of the ring! Shinsuke heads outside after him and Kev blindsides him, throwing him into the steel steps before putting him back inside and climbing up top... FROG SPLASH! NOT ENOUGH TO PUT NAKAMURA AWAY!
Owens asks Sami to clear the announce table and his pal obliges but Randy Orton appears at ringside to play equalizer and back suplexes Zayn onto the announce table! Nakamura lands a reverse roundhouse and comes charging out of the corner...
Shinsuke Nakamura wins by pinfall with Kinshasa, earning a spot on the SmackDown men's team at Survivor Series.
Nakamura celebrates his win while Orton stands stoic at ringside and Owens yells for his friend, who lies unconscious where he fell.
That's the show, folks.