Match Ratings For 1/1/2021 WWE Smackdown From Sean Ross Sapp

Big E defeated King Corbin via DQ
4.5/10

Big E did a Gator Roll in honor of Brodie Lee. Corbin went to do the Bossman clothesline, but got caught with a Big Ending until Sami Zayn attacked for the DQ. I don’t see the point in that. We know the pin is coming. Corbin is losing. Why a DQ instead? Run the three count. It was a fantastic set up to a finish. Cutler and Blake attack until Apollo Crews makes the save. Commentary said Sami Zayn saved Baron Corbin. From what? He lost! The finish took this down. The work was great as expected between these two.

Apollo Crews & Big E defeated Sami Zayn & King Corbin (w/ Knights)
5/10

IT’S A TAAAAAAAG TEAM MATCH. Well, at least Corbin can score a winner’s purse, I guess. Big E’s hot tag is fantastic. King Corbin is a true Sirloin Beef Sunsabitch and often doesn’t get the credit for it. Zayn and the Knights are arguing. Corbin and the Knights walk out. Really glad they’re continuing the Apollo/Sami Zayn stuff. That was such an easy set up from last week. Crews wins with the Toss Powerbomb. Big E is on pace to win 730 matches this year. Big E issues an open challenge and Apollo Crews immediately claims it. Apollo Crews was really good in the promo.

Riott Squad defeated Tamina & Natalya (w/ Billie Kay)
5.25/10

Billie Kay as a manager could be hilarious. Tamina and Natalya are teaming together with her in their corner. Ruby Riott has a great thing going. Give me The Riott Squad as the workhorse babyface champion team facing the world across all brands. They’re so good. Billie Kay celebrates with them. That sounds like a brilliant addition to them.

Baymella (w/ Reginald) defeated Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair
5.75/10

Carmella keeps being way better in the ring than she gets credit for. There are some really heavy, tough spots with Bianca Belair and Bayley outside the ring. Reginald makes the save for Carmella, and apparently that’s not a DQ. Carmella goes into a floatover Facebuster and gets the win. Really liked the floatover into the facebuster. A fun match, and I continue to dislike the way WWE builds many of their feuds, but that’s how they do it.

SONYA

I really didn’t think Sonya Deville would be back for a while. So good to see her on Smackdown! There were a lot of people in WWE that didn’t expect Sonya Deville back for months to come, so this is a big shot in the arm.

Street Profits

Angelo Dawkins is good on the drums. Street Profits make fun of Ziggler & Roode, who lost a tag title matc a couple of weeks ago and two in October. So for some reason this is going to continue. WWE does so many feuds ass backwards. Someone loses a championship match, then all of the interesting plot stuff happens afterwards. This was one of those. This attack was really good.

Daniel Bryan & Otis (w/ Chad Gable) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
5.75/10

Nakamura trolls Bryan about not having a chance to win the Rumble. Cesaro uses the Harper/Brodie Lee sidewalk slam on Bryan a few minutes after catching him outside and midair with a big catching pop up uppercut. Unreal. They could do worse than having Otis work on his in-ring with Daniel Bryan and Chad Gable. He also cracks Cesaro with a Brodie Lee discus lariat. He also gives a good indication of why he’s being asked to work on his in-ring stuff, dropping Nakamura on his face. Bryan taps out Nakamura and the faces celebrate.

Kevin Owens defeated Jey Uso
SQUASH

Roman Reigns on the microphone is a wonderful thing. He’s cutting longer promos and it’s not hitting 2016 territory. The subject matter is great. He puts over Paul Heyman and Jey Uso, as well as himself until he’s interrupted. Kevin Owens says The Big Dog is now The Giant Bitch, and he wants a chance to face Jey Uso tonight. Roman Reigns just wants Kevin Owens to go away. Owens is hanging right there with Roman Reigns on all of these promos and that’s not an easy thing to do.

Owens is backstage pushing for a match with Uso from Adam Pearce. Their history is referenced, which I appreciate

The match happens and Kevin Owens just beats Jey Uso’s ass and pins him. Owens is calling out Reigns repeatedly to no avail. Finally Reigns catches Owens off guard and attacks. Reigns and Uso beat down Owens and put him through a table off of a stage. A great way to close Smackdown.

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!