Welcome to the Smackdown Review for October 24, 2017. For both this and Raw, I will go over what the big talking points were, pick the match of the night, and look ahead to the next show.
Talking Points
Here Comes the Money
The big question after the invasion of Raw was how Shane McMahon was going to be received. The cheers when he kicked off Smackdown is that he is less of a heel and more of a proud parent defending his children. The smiles stopped when Sami Zayn decided to interrupt. Claiming at first that there were no hard feelings and then threatening Shane, Zayn offered his and Kevin Owens services for Team Smackdown. Shane was having none of it, setting a match for later with the winner joining the team. I like the idea of people having to earn their spots, it’s makes it feel more special when they do.
Fashion Dogs
The writers followed up Pulp Fashion with another Quentin Tarantino homage. This was better then the first one, with both Fandango and Tyler Breeze wanting to be Mr. Pink, either Hot Pink or Tickle me Pink. The Ascension upped their game as well, threatening to cut off the chin of James Ellsworth. Alas, Carmella spoiled the fun and Fashion Files still did not solve the case. Next week things are going to get strange. You might even say Stranger Things are coming. And remember, the “b” in “Brothers” is silent
Captain, My Captain
The whole women’s roster was involved in the match to determine the captain of the Smackdown Women’s Team (Not you Lana). There were no allegiances as all five women took their best shot. Carmella looked to have won the match, but Becky Lynch applied the Dis Arm Her to win the match. It was a welcome change to see the Irish Lass Kicker on the winning side. She will have her hands full, not only with her own team, but with the Crazy Fox in charge of Raw’s Team.
Match of the Night
Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn (Orton wins by pin fall to become the first member of Team Smackdown)
Randy Orton looked like he wanted to destroy Zayn for that low blow last week. The match was a hard hitting, as evidenced by Orton’s chest turning bright red after a few arm chops. The Viper kept bouncing back, looking for every opportunity to hit the RKO. Near the end, Owens made his way to the ring, but his distraction let Orton hit his own low blow followed by the RKO for the victory. One interesting thing to note is that Orton was fixated on Owens the whole time he appeared. I sense we might get a pay-per-view match from these two.
Conclusion
No Raw counter strike tonight. Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler will have a 2 out of 3 match next week for a spot on the Smackdown team. AJ Styles made short work of a Sing brother, and will get the other one next week. Shinsuke Nakamura will face Kevin Owens for another spot. Will Raw respond next week?
