:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61781887/20181009_SD_ReyShinsuke__c85fc27a296764a6160e447acfe5f028.0.jpg)
WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Oct. 16, 2018) from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., featuring a special edition of the show: it’s episode 1000!
Advertised for tonight: Evolution reunites, Rey Mysterio returns, Undertaker is back, World Cup qualifying matches, 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. 16
Unholy city, a sinner’s delight, no one was spared-- out of mind, out of sight. Hatred and slaughter, degredation and lust, self-destruction never counting the cost. No one knew the suffering, behind the city walls, no one heard the cry for help. No one heard the call. One thousand days in Sodom, one thousand episodes of SmackDown, and I’m the lucky lady that gets to liveblog number one thousand for you folks.
The show opens with a video package celebrating SmackDown’s history.
Live in the arena, R-Truth and Carmella are in the ring to welcome us to SmackDown 1000 with an episode of TruthTV. Truth talks about all the memorable history making moments they’ve had on TruthTV over the years, and Carmella points out they only had the one episode and got canceled. He tells her to hold that thought-- DANCE BREAK!
Ron says his guest needs no introduction and says that means it’s time for another DANCE BREAK! Mella then bids him welcome their guest, Stephanie McMahon. She takes her seat and Truth goes to ask her a question--
Enter Shane McMahon. He welcomes us to the show with a cheap pop and thanks everyone in attendance and watching on behalf of WWE before welcoming his sister to the A show. She points out that Raw has been on the air longer and says that Raw wouldn’t kick an anniversary show off with TruthTV, to which Shane says SmackDown likes to put things people want to see on the air--
Enter Vincent Kennedy McMahon. He comes to the ring and says he knows what the people want... DANCE BREAK!
Commentary hypes up our proceedings, from Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura through to the Cutting Edge to the return of Evolution.
AJ Styles makes his entrance, followed shortly thereafter by Daniel Bryan, they’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial we get another hype reel of SmackDown history.
AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
Bryan and Jey to start, collar and elbow, Dan with a side headlock, shot of, shoulder block, drop down, leapfrog, drop toehold, La Casita... NOPE! Arm wringer, elbow strike, uppercut, whip across, tag from Jimmy and they double-team the American Dragon with elbow drops for a nearfall. Big chop sends Dan into the corner, more follow, Bryan turns it around into chest kicks, jockeying for position, dragon screw connects, tag to Styles!
Leg kicks, Jimmy with a desperation headlock, AJ reverses, leapfrog and he kicks his leg outta his leg! Leg pick, tag to Jey, sidestep the charge, stereo kicks get the Usos a two count. Punches in the corner, beating the WWE Champion down until referee Jason Ayers warns him off and Styles comes out hard with forearms. Hard whip, sternum-first into the turnbuckles goes AJ and he’s in agony on the mat.
Jey calls for it, running hip attack countered into the Calf Killer, Bryan takes Jimmy down into the Yes! Lock... JEY USO MAKES THE ROPES FOR THE BREAK! And speaking of breaks...
Back from commercial, Styles and our legal Uso are down and out and crawling... TAGS MADE! Bryan in hot, right hands, backing Jey into the corner, chest kicks, whip across, backflip up and over, duck a lariat, suicide dive on the other Uso! He cuts Jey off with a right hand, up top... MISSILE DROPKICK AND THE KIP-UP! Fired up, Yes! Kicks in the middle of the ring and the buzzsaw finale connects... JIMMY MAKES THE SAVE!
AJ springboards in for the save, Jey cuts him off, malfunction at the junction and Dan takes Styles out with a forearm! Jey hits a superkick on the WWE Champion, he and Jimmy are squared up...
The Usos win by pinfall with a Superkick Party on Daniel Bryan.
Bryan and Styles stare each other down and jaw at each other.
Another hype reel of SmackDown history follows.
Paige is backstage chatting with Vickie Guerrero when Teddy Long rolls up. John Laurinaitis follows soon after.
Commentary promises us the Evolution reunion after the break.
Back from commercial, we get a video package covering WWE’s efforts at breast cancer awareness.
EVOLUTION IS A MYSTERY, FULL OF CHANGE THAT NO ONE SEES.
Evolution make their entrance together and head to the ring. Triple H gets on the mic and talks up SmackDown having 1000 episodes as a monumental achievement, a direct result of constantly evolving. So to celebrate, you bring together the one group that epitomizes the word evolution. Ric Flair is next, saying he’s more used to TEN thousand, and Randy Orton talks about all the fond memories he had getting his start with these guys.
But it was just a start, and he’s kept on evolving, and while Triple has run the show, Ric has lived vicariously through his daughter’s achievements, and Batista’s spent more time in a makeup chair than a ring, he’s cemented his legacy. Big Dave’s up next, and he admits he’s a little nervous being back, it’s been a long time but he’s gonna enjoy every second of it and ignore what Randy just said.
As many of us know, the last place he wants to be is with a microphone in hand, so he thought about it, thought about what he really wanted to say on this auspicious occasion, and he came up with four things. He wanted to be here tonight because it’s SmackDown 1000, 1000 episodes of a brand that he’s proud to say he helped build! The second thing was that it was in his home town where he grew up a poor kid that worked two blocks down the road bouncing in nightclubs and saw more violence than any kid should see, and here he is talking to all of us, a dream come true.
Number three, all of us fans, whether we booed him or called him Bluetista or Bootista, sometimes we hated him and sometimes we loved him, but every night he busted his ass and he loves us and wants nothing but to entertain us. He gave us everything every night, and all he cared about was entertaining us. Fourth, Evolution and how special it is, how the molecules change in the ring when they walk in the room.
When Line in the Sand plays, it’s a different vibe, four world champions brought together as an army, never before or since, it’s special. Randy Orton, 13-time world champion, the first time he saw him in OVW Batista knew he was special and so did Ric and Hunter. He’s got more talent in his pinkie than half the guys who ever stepped foot in the ring, he says.
Ric Flair, the Nature Boy, Space Mountain, 16-time world champion (or 21-time if we’re counting for real, but I’ll let you slide because point three made me cry, Dave), there’s nothing he can say we don’t know, or is there? He tells Ric to keep “that thing” in his pants before observing that it’s a family show. Last but not least, Triple H. The Game. 14-time world champion, a man who single-handedly changed the business.
He not only runs this business, he IS this business, and Dave says there’s nothing he hasn’t done... except beat him. Hunter squares up but Ric takes the mic and plays peacemaker, leading to Dave and Hunter hugging. Line in the Sand plays again, everybody hugs, and that’s the segment.
We cut to Undertaker’s shadow backstage and go to break.
Back from commercial, we get to see a commemorative tweet from the Rock.
Kurt Angle joins the commentary booth.
Rusev vs. the Miz (WWE World Cup Qualifying Match)
Rusev starting hot with that Shinjiro Ohtani spinning heel kick, calling for it... and Miz bails to the floor. Chasing out after him, the A-Lister uses referee Charles Robinson as a human shield and Aiden English interferes. Miz from behind...
Miz wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin, qualifying for the WWE World Cup.
Aiden and Lana get in each other’s face... SHE KICKS HIM RIGHT IN THE GENTLEMAN’S AREA! Rusev throws his former partner into the steel steps repeatedly! Into the barricade, ripping his t-shirt off, he puts English over the announce table!
Cut backstage to Curt Hawkins and his mentor Edge chilling, and commentary promises us the Cutting Edge after the break.
Back from commercial we get another SmackDown history reel.
(You think you know me.)
Edge makes his entrance, complete with Tony Chimel introducing him.
He says a great man he knew lived his life huge and he’s always tried to do the same thing, and it doesn’t get much more huge than SmackDown 1000. So he had to be here, and besides, SmackDown has always felt like his show. Some of his greatest accomplishments happened right here, cashing in Money in the Bank against the Undertaker, competing against Eddie Guerrero in a no disqualification match people still talk about, he married Vickie Guerrero, he divorced Vickie Guerrero, and so on.
Needless to say, this show really means something to him, and the last few weeks he’s been watching the show and he had to come here tonight to address it. As strange as it sounds, the Rated-R Superstar is going to attempt to be SmackDown’s moral compass. Bear with him, he knows, and he’s going to introduce his first guest on the Cutting Edge, SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.
They take their seats and Edge says he’s happy she’s here, and they’ll get to Charlotte Flair, but he couldn’t help but notice when she walked down that aisle that they have a lot of similarities. Lynch says he’s one of the people she modeled her career on and she appreciates that he sees what she sees. Edge asks her to hear him and out and says more than anyone else, he understands what she’s doing and thinking.
He wasn’t supposed to be in the main event, he wasn’t the hand-picked one, and he had to scratch, claw, and bite for every inch he earned in this company, just like she has. But... he gets that she thinks she’s making the right choice throwing her friendship away, but he’s here to tell her that wasn’t the right choice. Again he asks to be heard out-- he made the same choices.
If there was a friendship that got in his way between him and the top, he stepped on it and crushed it, leaving a trail of burnt bridges, but here’s the thing. You can win all the titles you want, your face can be on all the posters you want, but the choices you make change who you are, they stain your soul, and he still sees a good person in her.
The end result of the choices she’s making end with her sitting at home, staring at the championships on the wall, reminiscing about her accomplishments... by herself. But the kicker is she won’t even like herself. This clearly hits home with Becky and she admits he’s right. She doesn’t like herself... she loves herself. She tells him to stop being so condescending and get out of her ring, and bids him be careful he doesn’t hurt his neck again going through the ropes.
Enter Charlotte Flair. She says if Lynch loves what she’s become, she’s gonna love what she does to her right now... DOUBLE LEG INTO GROUNDED PUNCHES! FLAIR WAILING ON THE CHAMP, ROLLING AROUND AND REFEREES AND ROAD AGENTS HIT THE RING TO SEPARATE THEM! 5-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce gets Flair and Jamie Noble has Lynch but they can’t keep them apart and they go back to brawling!
Fit Finlay has Charlotte this time and they finally get things under control.
Cut to Rey Mysterio walking backstage when he runs into Jeff Hardy and has a nice reunion to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get another SmackDown history hype reel.
WWE Hall of Famers Jerry “the King” Lawler and Booker T take up New Day’s commentary booth for their match.
New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) (c) vs. the Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship)
Woods and Sheamus to start, side headlock takeover from the Celtic Warrior, shot off, shoulder block, arm wringer, up and over, Xavier ducks a lariat, slides low, rolling elbow connects! Satellite headscissors into a basement dropkick, only two! Sheamus into the corner, running interference, Cesaro with a cheap shot and the tag shortly after.
Stomping away, following it with kind of a modified cobra clutch, Woods starts to get away but Sheamus tags in and they run Xavier over to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Woods sidesteps the charge and Sheamus takes the post hard! Crawling, the path is clear... TAGS MADE! E comes in hot, belly-to-belly suplexes on Cesaro, the trifecta, running hot, hip swivel, off the ropes, lariat Sheamus to the floor but Cesaro scoops a schoolboy for two! Charging in, big Rock Bottom dumps the challenger... NOPE!
Fired up, clapping, lying in wait, Big scoops him up but Cesaro floats over and Sheamus tags in. Short-arm knee but E sidesteps the Brogue Kick, tags Woods in, suicide spear, tosses the Celtic Warrior back in, Xavier with the Shining Wizard... NOT ENOUGH! Tag to Big, drawing Sheamus up onto his shoulder, he floats over, Woods lands on his feet but gets caught with the Finlay Roll! Cesaro tags in, Big Ending on the Celtic Warrior, the Swiss Superman hits the Neutralizer... WOODS BREAKS IT UP AND WE GO TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, E is struggling but manages to hoss Cesaro into the corner and follow with right hands. Climbing up, jockeying for position but Sheamus comes over and makes the tag. Clubbing away, getting under big... SWISS DEATH DOOMSDAY DEVICE! KOFI KINGSTON WITH THE SAVE! Kofi gets into with Sheamus, Cesaro wipes him out, the Bar throw Woods into the barricade and clear Lawler and Booker’s commentary table.
BIG SHOW IS HERE?! He marches to ringside, staring at the Bar the whole way and they give him a wide berth. Show turns to Kingston and helps him up... BEFORE CHOKESLAMMING HIM THROUGH THE DAMN TABLE! E looks on stunned and turns around into a ready Sheamus...
The Bar win by pinfall with a Brogue Kick from Sheamus on Big E to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
Big Show celebrates with the Bar and their new tag titles.
Another hype reel of SmackDown history follows.
Commentary tosses to a John Cena handcam promo where he puts SmackDown over and talks about how important SmackDown was to the development of his career.
Rey Mysterio makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for the King of Strong Style make his entrance for a rare first-time ever match that is legitimately first time ever, not just “first time ever in WWE.”
Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE World Cup Qualifying Match)
Circling, Nakamura in with a leg kick, falling knee strikes, a short arm drag into a knee drop to the jaw for an early nearfall. Knees in the corner, Mysterio fights back with leg kicks and forearms, Shinsuke with more knees, a guillotine choke, wrenching it in, adding knees and dropping to the mat to try and suffocate one of the greatest of all time.
Rey fights out with leg kicks, whip across, headscissors takeover, forearm strikes, Nakamura hits knees and goes back to the guillotine before switching to the falling knees. Lining him up, Mysterio dodges, sets him up on the ropes, but the King of Strong Style ducks the 619! Sending him to the floor... REY WITH THE SUICIDE DIVE UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE!
Back inside, Mysterio pops up top but gets kicked into the Tree of Woe. Kicks, a choke, Rey falls to the mat and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Mysterio hits the seated senton off the top, leg kicks, back body drop puts him on the apron and Nakamura cuts him off up top with a kick. Climbing to meet him, jockeying for position, fireman’s carry, looking for Landslide off the top but Rey fights back, into position... ELECTRIC CHAIR INTO THE AVALANCHE HURRICANRANA ALMOST WINS THE MATCH!
Fired up, Mysterio heads to the apron, springboard crossbody... COUNTERED WITH A KNEE TO THE MIDSECTION! Setting Rey up top, corner knee connects but only gets two! Back suplex lands true, he’s got Rey in position but he counters Kinshasa into a victory roll for two! Kick combo from the King of Strong Style, Mysterio ducks another Kinshasa, Frankensteiner, drop toehold sets him up, 619...
Rey Mysterio wins by pinfall with the diving splash to qualify for the WWE World Cup.
DONG.
The Undertaker makes his stately entrance.
He gets on the mic and says that at Crown Jewel, he’s got three words for DX...
REST. IN. PEACE.
THAT’S. THE. SHOW.