Match Ratings For 10/2/20 WWE Smackdown From Sean Ross Sapp

The Tribal Chief

• Paul Heyman comes out with Roman Reigns and says that he’s known Reigns since the day he was born and has waited for this day ever since.
• Reigns doesn’t want to be called the Tribal Chief, because Jey didn’t say it. Jimmy did.
• Jey says he doesn’t know who Reigns is, and says that his spirit wasn’t broken.
• Reigns called Sunday night the worst night of his life. He was trying to do Jey a favor. He says Jey embarrassed the family.
• Reigns says that he loves Jey more than his own brother does. He gives him another title match at Hell in a Cell.
• They don’t always need to run everything back. Jey got his ass kicked. They gotta add a twist to it, cause Sunday was enough on the surface.

Jey Uso defeated AJ Styles
6/10

• AJ Styles comes out and trashes Jey Uso.
• No problem with Styles losing to Jey Uso here if that’s the case. Styles can work Mondays or Wednesdays so he can watch his kid play football.
• We get a commercial before the match, then another in the middle of it.
• This is a good, fresh match that we haven’t seen a ton.
• Jey Uso has a nice falling neckbreaker that we don’t get to see much of because he doesn’t work as a singles wrestler much.
• AJ whips out an Ushigoroshi and a Pele.
• Superkick and splash win it for Jey Uso.
• My hope is that before the draft, WWE goes ahead and does some matches with some of the departing wrestlers we haven’t seen before. I don’t need all of those leaving to lose though. Why would we care if a bunch of losers changed brands?

Otis defeated John Morrison
SQUASH

• This is the 11th match with Otis competing against Miz or John Morrison in some capacity since January 31.
• Otis is representing himself in court next week.
• Otis didn’t kill Morrison on the overhead suplex.
• This is a squash. This couldn’t have been against anyone else?

Sheamus defeated Shorty G
N/A (Short)

• This is quick. We heard from Big E before the match.
• Gable with a German suplex, then he gets kicked.
• That’s a wrap.
• Big E vs. Sheamus next week, falls count anywhere.

KO Show

• Considering how bad Smackdown gets hosed in trades, it would make perfect sense that they’d be like “Hey, we get a brand to brand invitation. Let’s use it on a talk show.”
• Alexa says that people change, and Kevin should, too. Kevin says he’s been trying, but it’s not about him tonight.
• There’s a very dramatic dialogue. This is not for me. Not with the laid over crowd noise. This should have been completely silent.
• The Fiend shows up and puts Owens in the Mandible Claw as Alexa Bliss watches on.
• It might work better for Alexa if the camera she’s looking at is actually the one they use. That’s on the producers.
• Owens vs. Fiend next week.

Matt Riddle & Lucha House Party defeated Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura & Baron Corbin
5/10

• All the babyfaces kinda sound like douches talking trash about Kalisto behind his back.
• Nakamura seems reinvigorated with his strikes.
• Miscommunication with Lucha House Party, but Riddle pins Cesaro with a Bro Derek.
• Riddle has to break up a fight among Lucha House Party.

Other stuff

• Carmella is back. Ah. Okay. Two “all you people” promos in the same night after months without one.

Sasha and Bayley

• This terminology, delivery is very heelish from Sasha Banks.
• She says next week, Bayley vs. Sasha for the the title or something? Oh okay.
• You don’t stand a chance…..BITCH. This is full of tropes.

Intercontinental Title
Sami Zayn (c) defeated Jeff Hardy
6.25/10

• Ah…..the return of the “all you people” promo. Yuck. Zayn is throwing the other IC Title in the trash.
• I hope Janitor Jim Duggan finds that title in the trash
• I do actually hope that R-Truth gets drafted to Smackdown, finds that IC Title in the trash, and thinks it’s the 24/7 Title. Zayn’s reaction would be great.
• Jeff Hardy is awfully worried about a missing turnbuckle pad. He should be more worried about flying into the barricade.
• There’s a good superplex that commentary sells really well. That Jeff Hardy standing splash is funny, but it’s like, why wouldn’t you do that?
• I’ve missed the Sami Zayn exploder suplex.
• Hardy eats knees on a Swanton attempt, and exposed buckle on Whisper in the Wind.
• Zayn wins. Really clever finish.

Rating Guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!