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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Nov. 13, 2018) from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, featuring the go home show to the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this coming Sunday night in Los Angeles, California.
Advertised for tonight: All the final angles leading into the next big event!
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 NOV. 13
So this is what they call another endless night? So tired of believing if this is wrong or right. I think this cause is lost. I wish that I could sleep. I feel like some kind of shadow, another slave to the week. Imagine if we lived under the weather, we would never be found, never discovered. If everything goes wrong, if it’s one more endless night, you’ll know there’s always tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, but first, I’m here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of the main event angle from Raw last night.
Commentary announces that Becky Lynch is out of Survivor Series with a concussion and shows footage of Nia Jax clocking her with the errant strike that did the deal.
AJ Styles makes his entrance. He says this Sunday, for the second year in a row, he steps in the ring with Brock Lesnar. For 371 days he’s defended the WWE Championship against the best that sports entertainment has to offer, day in and day out, a workhorse since the day he got here. He’s wrestled dream opponents, nightmare opponents, and he’s beat them all.
...all except for Brock, but now he gets a second chance. Most don’t survive the first, but he plans on doing more than just surviving, and he intends-- Paul Heyman is arguing with ring announcer Greg Hamilton but AJ tells him to give him the mic and Paul introduces himself in his usual fashion. He says he came here with all due respect because last night on Raw he told the entire WWE Universe that there’s no one that his client wants to fight more than Styles.
And the reason for that is when you think of the greatest in-ring performers in WWE history, from Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat to the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair to the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, you think of AJ Styles, who’s this close to being as good as number one, Daniel Bryan. We’re never going to see Bryan vs. Lesnar, but, and don’t think of AJ as a consolation prize, but it’ll be a privilege for Lesnar to step in the ring with the second-greatest in-ring performer in WWE history.
Styles says he sees what he’s doing, he’s trying to get under his skin. But just so you know, he’s got nothing but respect for Bryan and he always has. But don’t forget that he didn’t just beat Dan, he tapped him out, and he hasn’t forgotten about last year. Lesnar won, but he walked out with head high and under his own two feet where Brock limped out.
That tells AJ he’s vulnerable. For 371 days he’s gotten better at tapping people out, while Lesnar’s spent that time becoming more vulnerable to being tapped out, and that gives Styles one extra path to victory. Sunday won’t be about Brock or Daniel Bryan, it’ll be about the Face That Runs the Place, the Champ That Runs the Camp, the Phenomenal AJ Styles!
Enter Daniel Bryan. He says he’s not sure why they’re talking about him, yes he had a title match two weeks ago and yes he did tap out, no excuses, but he told him before that match that he respects him, and he meant that. He also said he’s been looking for a reason to punch AJ in the face, and he sure as hell meant that too, so you mention his name one more time without reason and you’re getting punched in the face.
Bryan goes to leave and AJ calls him back, pointing out that Heyman brought up his name, not Styles. He thought they were cool and they hugged it out, but he wants to get it straight-- when someone asks who the best technical wrestler he’s been in the ring with is, he can’t tell him Daniel Bryan? BRYAN HAULS OFF AND PUNCHES HIM! WE’VE GOT A BRAWL!
Shane McMahon, referees Charles Robinson and Jason Ayers, and road agents five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce and Jamie Noble hit the ring to pull them apart! More referees (including John Cone in street clothes, for some reason) hit the ring to keep them separated.
Commentary hypes up a six-man between the Bar and the New Day and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan are screaming at each other with Paige fruitlessly trying to mediate when AJ Styles and the gaggle of road agents and referees roll up. The screaming intensifies until finally Shane makes a title match for tonight!
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Jeff Hardy
Almas right out the gates with knees, into the corner for boots and forearms, he’s fired up and referee Mike Chioda warns him off. Right back in putting boots to Hardy, into the ropes, Jeff fights back, gets the jawbreaker and dumps Cien into the ropes where he’s feeling tranquilo... only for Hardy to boot him to the floor and send us to break!
Back from commercial, Hardy in control with right hands, forearm off the ropes, Manhattan Drop to the double leg drop to the midsection and the basement dropkick... NOPE! Twist of Fate blocked, up top, jockeying for position, Almas gets him hung up in the Tree of Woe for the double stomp... only two! Running knees in the corner, small package counter from Jeff for two and Andrade follows it with a stomp!
Twist of Fate denied again, huge back elbow from Cien gets a nearfall as Zelina Vega screams encouragement.Underhooks, blocked, back body drop sets up the Twist of Fate! Up top...
Jeff Hardy wins by pinfall with the Swanton Bomb.
Miz and Paige are shown watching the match backstage and Miz asks if he’s got it straight that Bryan isn’t on Team SmackDown anymore. Paige says that’s right and as sole captain, it’s his pick. The A-Lister shills for the Marine 6 and mulls it over... he picks Jeff Hardy! While he likes adding Jeff, he’s taking Rey Mysterio off the team since he was one of Dan’s picks.
Paige says she’s general manager and if Miz wants Rey off his team, he’s gotta beat him in a match. Not just a match, a match that’s next!
But first, the break.
Back from commercial, we go backstage for an interview with Shinsuke Nakamura.
He comes over and pulls his earbuds out, saying last night Seth Rollins said he wasn’t thinking about him and that broke his heart. He plays the footage on his phone and says all he’s been thinking about is Seth, he eats, breathes, and drinks Seth, and Rollins isn’t thinking about him? So at Survivor Series, he’ll break his face.
Rey Mysterio vs. the Miz
Miz with a go-behind into a schoolboy, no good, snapmare into a crucifix, that doesn’t work either, sunset flip, no, schoolboy again, stalemate! Mysterio ducks a lariat, right hands, whip reversed, wheelbarrow into the bulldog, no good!Kick to the arm, slide under, upkick, and the A-Lister decapitates him with a lariat for a nearfall! Into a reverse chinlock, Rey to his feet, off the ropes, front kick and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors puts Miz on the floor!
Baseball slide, off the ropes, suicide dive through the bottom rope... MIZ GOT THE KNEES UP! And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, they’re in the turnbuckles and jockeying for position. Mysterio hits the seated senton, off the ropes, Miz with a sunset flip but Rey pops up into a buzzsaw roundhouse for a nearfall! Basement DDT gets another one, following it up with the slingshot powerbomb... NOPE! Off the ropes for a boot, Mysterio ducks it, off the ropes, wheelbarrow reversed into Skull-Crushing Finale reversed to set the A-Lister on the ropes... 619!
Up top, diving splash... THE KNEES ARE UP! MIZ ALMOST STOLE IT! Rey thinks fast...
Rey Mysterio wins by pinfall with a crucifix pin to retain his spot on Team SmackDown.
Randy Orton attacks but Rey sees him coming and fends him off! Miz eats an RKO!
We see security having a meeting backstage and commentary tosses to a sneak peek of USA’s shiny new country music reality show before hyping our WWE Championship main event.
We cut backstage to Becky Lynch talking with a crew member before we go to break.
Back from commercial, Paige is in the ring.
She calls out the SmackDown women’s roster and introduces them more or less one by one. She says she call them down because of the severe concussion Becky Lynch suffered last night, leaving her medically unable to compete. As such, Lynch is going to come out and handpick her replacement to wrestle Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series!
Becky makes her entrance and thanks the crowd for their reaction. She’s angry as hell because while she took a good beating, that’s never stopped her before... but the medical team won’t clear her for Sunday. She’s been knocking on doors all day looking for someone who’d let her fight, but she’s out of time. She got a taste of blood when she beat half the locker room and had Ronda Rousey screaming in pain in her armbar last night.
That was just a taste of what she was gonna do at Survivor Series, and take her word, even with a broken face and a concussion she can still kick Ronnie’s ass. She’s sorry she can’t finish what she started... yet. Ronda’s not the Baddest Bitch on the Planet, she’s the luckiest, and now she’s gotta pick her replacement, someone she knows can get the job done.
Lynch surveys the arrayed superstars one by one, some of whom make their case to her in the time they have... IT’S CHARLOTTE FLAIR! Becky tells Charlotte to tap Ronda out the way she’d have tapped her out, and they shake hands and hug. Lynch exits and holds the title high on the stage.
Commentary hypes up our six-man tag as being next and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a hype reel for tonight’s episode of Mixed Match Challenge.
Charlotte Flair is interviewed backstage about being picked to wrestle Ronda Rousey.
She says she’s spent half her career fighting against Becky, last night she fought with Becky, and on Sunday, she’ll fight FOR Becky. It’ll be her honor to beat Ronda on Sunday and prove that SmackDown is the superior brand.
New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, & Xavier Woods) vs. the Bar (Big Show, Cesaro, & Sheamus)
Sheamus and Kingston to start, the Celtic Warrior gets a side headlock, shot off, shoulder block, off the ropes, catch the leapfrog, Kofi slides into a sunset flip, nope, rolling solebut and a tag to Woods. Running knee, sliding lariat, pendulum elbow, elbow drop, tag to E, off the ropes, stereo big splash and a leg drop for two! Tag to Xavier, arm wringers, Sheamus gets a boot and a tag to Cesaro!
Whip reversed, boot up on the charge, Honor Roll countered and Cesaro takes him in for a tag to Show! Overhand chops in the corner, hip thrusts, drawing him up just to club him back down and then palming his face as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Sheamus is in control but Woods gets away with a jawbreaker! Tag to Cesaro, block the tag, double backbreaker and Big E breaks it up! Wicked knee from the Celtic Warrior knocks E to the floor, Show follows after and throws him into the barricade! The Swiss Superman jawing at Xavier, throwing him into the corner, Woods fighting back, tag to Sheamus, land on his feet off a back suplex!
To the corner, a knee staggers Xavier, jockeying for position, missile dropkick and the way is clear! Tags made, Kingston in hot, bowling Cesaro over with axhandles, a dropkick, upkick out of the corner, off the top with a diving crossbody but Sheammus breaks it up! E gets passed to the apron and knocked to the floor by a Brogue Kick! Woods off the ropes, Show trips him up and puts him into the announce table!
Trouble in Paradise wipes Sheamus out, Cesaro with a cradle for two, SOS connects in response... STILL NO! Duck a lariat, Trouble in Paradise caught, tag to Show, catapult, Big is ready for him... WMD TAKES KOFI OUT OF MID-AIR! IT’S OVER!
The Bar win by pinfall with a WMD from Big Show that cut Kofi Kingston out of mid-air.
We see security posted around the arena to stop Raw from interfering before heading backstage with SmackDown’s other tag teams, the Colons, the Club, and SAnitY.
The Usos roll up on them to give each of them a pep talk and issue them their Team SmackDown t-shirts. They say come Sunday it’ll be lockdown (that’s an Impact PPV, guys) and welcome Team Raw to the Uso Penitentiary.
A recap of our opening segment follows, and commentary informs us that the main event it set up is next, after the break.
Back from commercial, commentary shills for the WWE Network a bit.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship)
Styles double legs Bryan into the corner, repeated shoulder thrusts, Dan turns him around for chest kicks! Whip reversed, front kick, off the ropes, AJ back body drops him over the ropes and to the floor! Slingshot plancha with the forearm connects and we go to break with both men down and out on the floor!
Back from commercial, Bryan’s laying punches in the corner as referee Charles Robinson backs him off. Switching to chest kicks, Styles catches one, hammers the knee with elbows and a knee drop and Dan is rolling in agony clutching his knee! AJ picks the leg, hamstring kicks, going for a dragon screw but Bryan hits an enzuigiri! Styles to the apron, going for a springboard and the American Dragon shoves him to the floor!
Following out after him, arm wringer, hammerlock and he puts AJ elbow-first into the ringpost! Another shot of the same on the next post, throwing him back inside, shoulder armbreaker to follow it up! Jim Breaks Special, Styles throws punches to stop him but Dan hits a drop toehold and punts the elbow for two! Back to manipulating the arm on the kickout, folding it against the mat and stomping the bicep!
Penalty Kick to the back of the neck gets two, AJ blocks a followup with forearms and we got a slugfest in the middle of the ring! Styles Rush, Bryan in the corner, charging lariat connects, whip across, backflip up and over but Dan comes up lame! Off the ropes, both men go for crossbodies and wipe out as we go to break!
My connection goes down during the break and when I get it back, Charles Robinson is raising Daniel Bryan’s hand, so...
Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship.
Byron Saxton is on commentary complaining about Bryan hitting a low blow as AJ Styles recovers... THE AMERICAN DRAGON TAKES AJ’S HEAD OFF WITH A BUZZSAW ROUNDHOUSE KICK! THE “YOU’RE GONNA GET YOUR FUCKIN’ HEAD KICKED IN” DOUBLE WRIST CLUTCH STOMPS TO THE HEAD! HE GOES BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND! AN EVIL GRIN FLASHES ACROSS BRYAN’S FACE AS HE HOLDS THE TITLE!
THAT’S THE SHOW, FOLKS!