WWE Smackdown Live Match Ratings, Podcast Notes For 12/4/18 From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Opening Segment

• Paige brings out the participants in the women’s title TLC match.
• Becky Lynch says she makes history every week. Charlotte wants her to change the record, and says she picked up the ball that Becky Lynch dropped, and brings up that Nia knocked out Becky with one punch.
• Asuka says Becky Lynch already beat Charlotte, and picked wrong for Survivor Series. Charlotte, who I thought was on fire in this promo says she already beat at WrestleMania herself.
• Becky shuts them up by saying that neither of them could beat Ronda Rousey, and neither could beat her either. She signs the contract and leaves to a great ovation.
• Everyone was over in that promo.
• Asuka asks Charlotte about breaking her right now, but Mandy Rose comes out with Sonya. Sonya says she dominated the battle royal and her mistake won’t happen again. Mandy Rose is really good on the mic.
• Paige books them in a tag team match up next. 

Absolution defeated Charlotte Flair & Asuka
4.5/10

• Asuka is working from underneath and getting worked over by the heels.
• Mandy Rose holds her own pretty well in a strike battle with Asuka, but still has a little way to go when timing her bumps. 
• I have never seen one of those sideways kicks to the ribs from Charlotte look good, but her Exploder suplex and her slingshot body press work.
• Becky Lynch comes to the ring ahead of a commercial break.
• There’s a really wonky wheelbarrow counter into a bulldog spot with Mandy and Asuka.
• Charlotte Flair is getting a huge reaction for her chops and back suplex. A spear hits Sonya as well
• Charlotte accidentally knocks Asuka off the apron, thinking it’s Mandy. Asuka returns the favor by kicking Charlotte in the face.
• Sonya Deville gets the pin! She can’t keep the smile off her face.
• Here’s to hoping this means something is in line for Sonya. 

Jey Uso (w/ Jimmy Uso) defeated Cesaro (w/ Sheamus) and Xavier Woods (w/New Day)
6.25/10

• This is being billed as a mini-preview of TLC, and I like it. It’s different at least. 
• Woods and Uso drop down, leap frog and pin attempt for a good solid minute.
• During the break, Cesaro destroys the pancake stand. 
• Uso gets the pop-up Samoan drop, and runs his ass into his opponent’s head before Jey dives over the top onto Cesaro.
• Woods goes inside out on a tornado DDT from the apron on Jey. An inverted Infrared catches Cesaro too.
• Uso eats knees on an Uso splash on Cesaro, but Woods capitalizes on the ropewalk elbow. 
• Cesaro does a double swing — airplane spin and a giant swing. Sharpshooter on Woods, but Uso kicks the Swiss and gets the win.

Backstage Crappenings

• We’re shown Nakamura attacking Rusev last week. Rusev puts over his muscles and his hunger, and says Nakamura doesn’t respect the United States title. He’s going to feast on Nakamura during the best holiday — RUSEV DAY.  This was a real damn weird promo.

MIZ TV

• Miz kicks off Miz TV, but is interrupted by Carmella and R-Truth, who show up for a Dance Break. 
• Miz gets a nice reaction for telling Daniel Bryan that he was right about what he needed all along.
• “These people.” Another dove cries. Daniel Bryan might be the only person in recent memory to make an “all you people” promo work.
• He completely owns the audience by making fun of them for chanting “what” because they’re sheep and they can’t help themselves. 
• Bryan says he kicked Styles in the balls one day, one time, but every day these people destroy the environment. Bryan is FANTASTIC here.
• Miz wants a straight answer about whether or not he’s right. Bryan won’t commit, but says the old Daniel Bryan and the Yes Movement (and his side plates) are dead. 
• Bryan chants “fickle” and pushes Miz into AJ. It doesn’t work, but Miz does end up helping Bryan by hitting Styles with a Skull Crushing Finale. 

Randy Orton defeated Jeff Hardy
6/10

• At this point I’d just like a demented Samoa Joe/Randy Orton tag team.
• Hardy goes right at Orton. A jawbreaker and clothesline send Orton out.
• Hardy is whipping Orton’s ass all over the place, not the kind of match we usually see out of them. A Singh Bomb leads us to commercial.
• During the break, Orton hangs Jeff Hardy out to dry. 
• I dunno what to make of that Whisper in the Wind. Hardy rolled off of Orton’s back, and Orton sold it as best he could.
• Hardy gets caught by a draping DDT, but fights back and gets the Twist of Fate. Orton avoids the Swanton.
• ANOTHER Singh Bomb from Hardy.
• Joe just Jinder’d Hardy!!!!!!! HEY JEFF. I’M UP HERE. He’s on the Titantron! Orton gets the win!
• Joe cuts a promo from a bar about moderation. This was good stuff.

AJ Styles defeated The Miz
6.25/10

• Miz and Styles’ first TV match since January 2017.
• Daniel Bryan says everything he does is with a purpose, and he’s headed to commentary. He then tells Byron he hopes his daughter kicks every man in the balls.
• Styles gets a slingshot elbow drop, but gets beaten up pretty thoroughly by some Miz signature spots. 
• We come back to see Styles hit an ushigoroshi, but Miz kicks out and flattens him with a DDT.
• Daniel Bryan is fantastic on commentary. He’s essentially running a CJ Parker gimmick. 
• Bryan distracts Styles, who gets sent into the stairs. Miz plants him with a Skull Crushing Finale, but Styles kicks out.
• Bryan goes back to the well, but Styles counters a Figure Four with a Calf Crusher and gets the win.
• The attack is on. Bryan destroys Styles’ leg, and Styles sells his ass off. A kick to the head and stomps finish Styles off.
• Outstanding episode of Smackdown Live.

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.