WWE SmackDown Review – September 22, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with John Cena welcomes fans to Smackdown then says he’s been able to do a lot since coming back in both Pennsylvania & Colorado. He says he didn’t come back to be a referee, a host or a backstage correspondent because he came back to compete and he wants a match tonight. He says he’s happy to hear fans want the same thing after asking them then says he’s angry at The Bloodline more specifically Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa then says he thinks he’s found himself a tag team partner.
AJ Styles’ music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. He clarifies that Cena wants him to be his tag team partner to face The Bloodline then accepts his offer and tells The Bloodline to come and get some.
Jimmy Uso’s music hits and he appears alongside Solo Sikoa & they stare down Cena & Styles before backing down.
After the break we see John Cena & AJ Styles demanding their Tag Team Match against The Bloodline from Adam Pearce. Pearce tells them that he’ll try and find Paul Heyman to work things out and make it happen.
Tag Team Match
Latino World Order (United States Champion Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar) vs. Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Santos Escobar & Angelo Dawkins lock up to get this match started then Dawkins lands a shoulder tackle but Escobar fires back with a dropkick and tags in Rey Mysterio & he delivers a hurricanrana but Dawkins fires back with a forearm and tags in Montez Ford.
Ford levels Mysterio but Mysterio delivers a springboard crossbody and sends Ford crashing out of the ring. He looks to go flying but Dawkins pulls Ford out of the way and Mysterio collides with the floor. Escobar looks to check on Mysterio but Dawkins takes him out as we go to a break.
After the break Ford delivers a clothesline to Mysterio and a right hand to his spine. Mysterio lands a pair of kicks and looks to tag out to Escobar but Ford prevents him from doing so and gets him in an electric chair position. Mysterio manages to send Ford crashing into the middle turnbuckle face first and tags in Escobar.
Escobar levels Ford with a pair of flying right hands before hitting an enzuigiri from the apron and a crossbody off the top rope. Ford responds with a running kick and a standing splash then ascends to the top. Escobar meets him up there and executes a hurricanrana then he goes for a pin but Ford kicks out.
Escobar then lands a running Meteora and sets up for Phantom Driver but Ford escapes and tags in Dawkins. Dawkins plants Escobar but Escobar delivers a knee to his head and tags in Mysterio.
Mysterio delivers a DDT and a low dropkick that sends Dawkins into the ropes as he looks to dial it up with 619 but Dawkins catches him with a spinebuster and goes for a pin but Escobar breaks the fall and Ford dumps him out of the ring.
Dawkins then tosses Latino World Order on the outside and distracts the referee as Bobby Lashley chokeslams Mysterio on the ring apron before Dawkins looks for a powerbomb instead of going for a pin but Mysterio rolls him up for the win.
Winners: Latino World Order
We then head over to a video recapping the confrontation between Austin Theory & The Rock last week. Back at ringside, Austin Theory appears by the announce table and starts yelling about the way things played out for him.
After the break we head to a video from Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn implying that they are responsible for the curse of the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
We then head backstage to a heated exchange between Brawling Brutes and A Town Down Under. Adam Pearce makes a Tag Team Match between them official.
Back in the locker room Bobby Lashley chews out Street Profits for losing their match and demands they give him all the stuff that he gave them back. He tells them that if they can’t get the job done they can sit in catering while he finds someone who can.
After the break we see Adam Pearce chatting with Paul Heyman.
Women’s Title Match
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Asuka
Match starts off with a lock up then they take turns locking one another in submission holds before they end up in the corner and Iyo Sky delivers an arm drag to Asuka from the middle rope as we go to a break.
After the break Sky delivers a pair of missile dropkicks from the top rope then she follows it up with a double stomp to Asuka’s chest and a Meteora. Asuka drapes Sky across the top turnbuckle and lands several rapid fire kicks before delivering a superplex and going for a pin.
Sky kicks out and Asuka catches her with a knee to her midsection then Sky responds with a German suplex but Asuka locks in an arm bar but Sky fights her way out and delivers a kneeling roundhouse kick to Asuka’s head but Asuka lands one of her own and follows it up with a dropkick off the top rope.
She then delivers a series of kicks and goes for a pin but Sky kicks out then Asuka ascends to the top rope but Sky catches her with a kick to her head that sends her crashing to the outside. Asuka hops up on the apron and Sky looks for a sunset flip.
Asuka tries to hang on but Sky pulls her down. Asuka then looks for a kick but Sky ducks out of the way and Asuka’s foot is sent crashing into the ring post before Sky lands a moonsault out of the corner as we go to a 2nd break.
After the 2nd break Sky delivers a German suplex and locks in a Crossface but Asuka escapes and cinches in the Asuka Lock but Sky counters into a pin and Asuka is forced to relinquish the hold. Asuka lands a kick on Sky’s knee and delivers a dropkick off the top rope.
They go back & forth with right hands before Asuka cinches in the Asuka Lock. Sky escapes but Asuka keeps the hold locked in.
Bayley gets Sky’s foot on the bottom rope to break the hold before Charlotte Flair levels her. Sky surprises Asuka with the double knees to the back of her neck then Over The Moonsault for the win.
Winner & Still Women’s Champion: Iyo Sky (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
We then head backstage to Adam Pearce, Paul Heyman, Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso. Heyman says he’s fine with Jimmy & Sikoa having a tag team match with John Cena & AJ Styles, as long as it isn’t tonight. Pearce clarifies that it will be at Fastlane and Jimmy says he’ll be at ringside to sign the contract. Heyman says decisions like that usually need approval but Jimmy disregards him and walks off. Sikoa follows after a cryptic message and Heyman calls Roman Reigns.
Tag Team Match
A Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) vs. Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland)
Austin Theory levels Butch then he rains down right hands on him and tags in Grayson Waller. Waller delivers 3 knees to Butch’s head before Ridge Holland tags in and sends Waller for a ride then lands a double underhook suplex and a splash in the corner then tags Butch back in.
Butch delivers a double stomp to Waller’s chest then follows it up with a dropkick before the action spills to the outside and Butch delivers 10 Beats Of The Bodhran to Waller using the barricade in front of the timekeeper’s area as we go to a break.
After the break Theory rains down right hands on Butch in the center of the ring before Waller tags back in and delivers a pair of knees to his midsection before tagging Theory back in. Waller tags in and Theory delivers a clothesline to Butch in the corner.
Waller then sets up for 10 Beats Of The Bodhran but Butch snaps his fingers and tags Holland in then he delivers a back body drop to Waller then follows it up with a double underhook suplex.
Theory makes the blind tag and Waller executes a chop block on Holland then he sets up for the Rolling Stunner but Holland catches him with a shoulder pounce.
Theory charges at him but Holland plants him with a powerslam as Butch delivers a moonsault out of the corner to Waller on the outside.
Theory gets Holland on his shoulders and looks for A Town Down but Holland escapes his grasp and plants him with an Alabama Slam. Holland locks in a Boston Crab as Butch holds Waller off with a Sleeper.
Waller fights Butch off and sends him into the ring post spine first then lands a Rolling Stunner on Holland to break the hold and Theory follows it up with A Town Down for the win.
Winners: A Town Down Under
Pearce introduces John Cena and he makes his way down to the ring. He wastes no time signing the contract, and Pearce then introduces AJ Styles. Styles doesn’t appear and he has been blindsided by Jimmy Uso backstage. He sends him crashing into a road case as Cena runs to the back. Solo Sikoa standing on top of some technical equipment delivers a splash to Styles. Officials then enter to provide Styles with help as Cena checks on him.
After the break Styles has been loaded on a stretcher and into an ambulance as Paul Heyman saunters down to ringside with Jimmy & Sikoa right behind him.
Sikoa tosses the chairs and the table out of the ring before Heyman introduces himself as boos rain down from the crowd. He says he’s holding the contract signed by Cena but Cena now doesn’t have a partner. Jimmy grabs the mic out of his hand and says this is what happens when you mess with The Bloodline. He tells Cena if he’s smart then he would hop in the ambulance with Styles to go far away from The Bloodline. He says Cena will end up in an ambulance regardless.
Cena then runs back down to ringside and takes Sikoa down on the outside. He plants Jimmy inside the ring, and Sikoa charges at him looking for the Samoan Spike. Cena ducks out of the way and sets up for an Attitude Adjustment but Jimmy superkicks him to save Sikoa. Sikoa then delivers a Samoan Spike as Jimmy sits himself on the top rope and mocks Cena. He then delivers an Uso Splash and signs the contract. He hands it over to Sikoa & Sikoa follows suit. Jimmy then lands a 2nd Uso Splash and holds up the One symbol to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Next Week’s Smackdown
United States Title Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Santos Escobar
Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley
