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WWE Smackdown Recap – But What About the Consequences?

Welcome to Bleeding Cool's WWE Smackdown report. We watch Smackdown so you don't have to. And we'll tell you all about is too! I'm Jude Terror, and this is The Shovel: Smackdown Edition. This recap is broken into three parts, and you're reading part three. So if you wanted to be reading part one or two, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link to that in the table of contents. Or read it out of order. It's Smackdown. It's not like you'll miss anything.

The Shovel - Weekly TV Recaps of WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown, Impact Wrestling, AEW Dynamite, and WWE NXT [Photo: Shutterstock]
The Shovel – Weekly TV Recaps of WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown, Impact Wrestling, AEW Dynamite, and WWE NXT [Photo: Shutterstock]

WWE Smackdown Recap for October 23rd, 2020 – Part 2

After the break, Law and Otis continues. Well, at least they're getting it over with. JBL says something has been missing from this trial: the truth. JBL says all the violence Otis has inflicted on Miz and Morrison is in the job description for a WWE Superstar. Also: handing over the keys to your Twitch account. JBL says the Money in the Bank contract says the Money in the Bank winner has a year to cash in, so Otis doesn't have to cash in yet. He's about to rule in favor of Otis, when Miz asks for one more second. He has a key piece of evidence to submit. He pulls out a briefcase. Ron Simmons brings it to JBL. JBL opens it behind the desk. There's a cha-ching noise, indicating it's a bribe. JBL says, in light of the new evidence, he decides in favor of the Miz. He says Otis and Miz will fight at Hell in a Cell and the winner will get the contract. Simmons concludes the proceedings by saying: "damn!"

Was this segment stupid? Yes. Did it take up way too much time on the show? Yes.

That's it. I don't have a counterpoint. We see a video package for Seth Rollins vs. Murphy. Rollins comes to the ring. Smackdown takes a commercial break. Then Murphy comes out.

Seth Rollins vs. Murphy

  • Rollins is trying to put Murphy in his place here. Murphy is taking out months worth of pent-up aggression from Rollins treating him like a lackey. I imagine all of this is just a ploy to mess with the Mysterio family.
  • This is easily the best match of the night. It's also the only one with a story anyone put any thought into. WWE has material for like 15 minutes of wrestling television per week, and someone they stretch it into seven hours.
  • The Mysterios are watching this match from backstage. 19-year-old Aalyah Mysterio is looking very concerned for her boyfriend, 34-year-old Murphy.
  • Murphy, full of heart, comes close to pulling off an upset, but ultimately goes down to a Stomp from Rollins.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Now the real action begins. Rollins gets a kendo stick after the match. Backstage, Aalyah tries to convince her dad and brother to go help Murphy, but they won't, so she goes out instead. As Rollins walks slowly… very slowly… over to beat up Rollins, Aalyah finally makes her way to ringside. Rollins hits Murphy with the stick. She jumps in the ring and covers Murphy with her own body. Dominik Mysterio comes out. Rollins attacks him, but then Rey Mysterio comes out with a chair. Rollins runs away.

Aalyah consoles Murphy as Dominik and Rey argue about whether Aalyah should even be here. She's just a dumb 19-year-old kid who doesn't know anything about their world, remember. Meanwhile, Aalyah is feeling up Murphy.

Paul Heyman is informed Roman Reigns is on next as Smackdown takes a commercial break. Then we see a Progressive Match Flo about last week's Reigns vs. Braun Strowman match. And then, finally, Roman Reigns comes to the ring to reveal the consequences of the Hell in a Cell match with Jey Uso.

It takes Roman a long time to get to the ring. When he gets there, Jey Uso is on the Titantron, in Roman's private dressing room, wearing a mask, making fun of Roman's cheese and vegetable plate. Uso says Roman has sold out. He's lost his connection with his family. He says he doesn't just have to take his word for it. He can "ask my brother Jey. He's right behind you." He removes his mask to reveal he's Jimmy Uso, not Jey Uso.

Jey Uso attacks Roman Reigns from behind. He kicks his ass and hits a frog splash. Hopefully, that will help take some of the pain away when he loses on Sunday. Jimmy Uso comes out to celebrate with Jey on the entrance ramp.

Roman grabs a mic. "It's all just games, huh? It's funny to you boys. Because you don't understand. I understand. If you make me quit, I'm not the Universal Champion. I'm not the face of the WWE. I'm not the head of the table. I'm not the tribal chief. I'm not the provider of generations and generations of our bloodline. If you can make me quit, I can live with that. But the question is, can you? When I make you quit, and I will make you quit, you will fall in line. You will take orders. You will acknowledge me. You will respect me for who I am in the WWE and all I do for our family. And if you just can't, then you're out. And not just you. You brought your brother with you. He's out too. Your wives. Your children. Your children's children. You're all out of the family. We will all turn our backs on you. Those are your consequences."

The cell lowers around Roman for dramatic effect. Jey Uso climbs up the side of the cage for even more dramatic effect. Smackdown foes off the air for the most dramatic effect of all.

Smackdown: Why Did It Suck?

Leading up to the draft, Smackdown had cemented itself as the best weekly WWE show. Yes, better even than NXT. After this episode, I'm not sure that's true anymore. Maybe it was an off week. Maybe WWE figured no one would watch this on FS1 so they didn't bother putting in the full effort. Or maybe the draft totally screwed up Smackdown. That said, the last two segments of the show were very solid. The Reigns/Uso feud is way more compelling than it deserves to be. The Rollins/Murphy/Mysterio stuff is trash TV, but wrestling at its best is often trash TV. But the rest of the show… woof. We'll see how things look after the PPV this Sunday, I guess.

Speaking of which, this weekend I'll be recapping Impact's Bound for Glory and WWE's Hell in a Cell. Chelsy and potentially Jeremy may also join me for Hell in a Cell on Sunday. So check back here over the weekend for more wrestling recaps than you shake a kendo stick at.


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Jude TerrorAbout Jude Terror

A prophecy once said that in the comic book industry's darkest days, a hero would come to lead the people through a plague of overpriced floppies, incentive variant covers, #1 issue reboots, and super-mega-crossover events. Sadly, that prophecy was wrong. Oh, Jude Terror was right. For ten years. About everything. But nobody listened. And so, Jude Terror has moved on to a more important mission: turning Bleeding Cool into a pro wrestling dirt sheet!
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