Match Ratings For 10/16/20 WWE Smackdown From Sean Ross Sapp

THE FREAK Lars Sullivan defeated Jeff Hardy
5/10

• Triple H and Stephanie McMahon come out and tout the roster.
• Lars Sullivan runs off Sami Zayn.
• We’re going to count how many times they call Sullivan the Freak.
• The work is fine. Very 1998ish. Not that it’s a bad thing.
• Sullivan stops the Twist of Fate, and they’re calling Sullivan the FREAK a lot.
• Sullivan catches Hardy midair and slams him into the apron.
• Twist of Fate, but Lars Sullivan gets up. He hits the Freak Accident and gets the win.
• Sullivan got referred to as the “Freak” 22 times in one television segment. 16 of them were by Michael Cole.

New Day defeated The Bar & Shinsuke Nakamura
6.5/10

• New Day are in the ring doing their farewell. They go through their memories together.
• This is very bittersweet. Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura and Sheamus are all trolling.
• I love that we’re getting a Bar reunion tonight.
• Xavier Electric Chair Drops E on Cesaro.
• New Day busting out new offense to the very end.
• Ha, Xavier calls the uranage backbreaker the Morning Woods.
• The dives from Kofi and Xavier were on point.
• The finishing sequence is amazing. We see shades of The Bar, and a really quick Big Ending, that leads into the finish.
• FRIDAY NIGHT FRIAR
• Daniel Bryan comes out, and Brie and Birdie are in the THUNDERDOME on the screen.
• Daniel talks about a lot of the new draft picks to Smackdown.
• Seth Rollins comes out and says that Bryan didn’t mention him.
• Daniel Bryan thinks that the way Seth Rollins thinks is dumb.
• Rollins attacks, but Bryan fights back.
• Rollins tries to hit the bricks, but the Mysterios come to the ring. Murphy comes and attacks Rollins.
• The Mysterios won’t shake Murphy’s hand.

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Street Profits (c) vs. Roode & Ziggler is thrown out
N/A

• Why would Roode & Ziggler get a title shot four days after getting a title shot?
• WWE adding former wrestlers to the Thunderdome is a nice touch. We’ve seen Brie Bella, Jeff Jarrett, and Ric Flair so far.
• Oh yeah, there’s a DQ. What’s the point?
• The Zig Zag Spinebuster is a really good move.
• Montez flies with a frog crossbody.

BOSS N HUG

• Adam Pearce is the official for this segment.
• Sasha Banks looks like a STAR.
• Bayley wants to get this over with.
• Sasha Banks cut a really good promo about how she brought Bayley on to Raw, and says she was never going to turn on Bayley.
• Bayley doesn’t sign the contract.

Other stuff

• Otis shoves down Sami Zayn for trying to troll him backstage

WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (c) defeated Braun Strowman to retain the title
5.75/10

• Roman Reigns dominates early, but Braun kicks out at one.
• Braun sends Reigns over the barricade.
• Back from the commercial, Braun does a terrible Yokosuka Cutter.
• Reigns hits a spear, but Braun kicks out.
• Reigns evades Powerslam and puts Strowman to sleep with a guillotine choke.
• A big worthless bait and switch on Goldberg. Good!
• Jey Uso comes out, and Reigns spears Braun.
• Reigns grabs a chair and wears out Braun with it and stares down Jey.
• Reigns says he loves Jey and Uso is embarrassing him and his family. He wants Jey to swing the chair.
• Uso attacks Reigns but gets superman punched.

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!