WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Sept. 29
One week after a vicious beatdown at the hands of Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa left him lying, John Cena returned to WWE SmackDown Friday night intent on revenge, but without any backup.
Did it stay that way or did another Superstar step up to provide support for The Greatest of All Time?
Find out with this recap of this week's broadcast.
Match Card
1 of 7Announced in advance for the September 29 show were:
- United States Championship Match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Santos Escobar
- Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley
- The Grayson Waller Effect with Bobby Lashley
- John Cena appearance
The Bloodline Kicks Off SmackDown; Karl Anderson vs. Jimmy Uso
2 of 7
Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa kicked off the night's show with an in-ring promo in which they teased that John Cena was having transportation issues but was actually scared.
The promo segued into a match between Uso and The OC's Karl Anderson.
It was a one-sided squash match that highlighted Uso against someone who is primarily a tag team specialist.
The biggest takeaway was not the match but the actions of Uso, who continued to act as if he was bigger than Heyman and Sikoa, the leader in the absence of his cousin, Roman Reigns.
Only to be smacked down by Mia Yim.
Those two instances helped define his character at this point while also setting up a major angle later in the show involving Cena. That booking trope is rarely a favorite, but it is a trademark of WWE so it is what it is at this point.
Result
Uso defeated Anderson
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Heyman teased that Cena was having transportation issues getting to the arena.
- Uso yanked the microphone from Heyman again, continuing the trend of going against the special counsel's wishes and, by proxy, those of Roman Reigns.
- It's wild to think that The OC came back to WWE to be utilized the same way they were before.
- Mia Yim slapped the hell out of Jimmy, dropping him and drawing a look of disgust from Sikoa.
Bobby Lashley on the Grayson Waller Effect; Cameron Grimes vs. Austin Theory
3 of 7
Bobby Lashley joined The Grayson Waller Effect and, with a single "back to the drawing board" reference, revealed that he is no longer working with The Street Profits.
It felt very much like a rushed creative decision but, in hindsight, is reflective of the story as a whole. This is likely leading to Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins having to ramp up their intensity and aggression in order to prove themselves to The All-Mighty and earn his guidance, which would be more effective in turning them than the sudden expectation that fans would treat them like heels.
After the segment, Austin Theory hit the ring to battle Cameron Grimes with Waller at ringside.
Like the opener, it was a glorified squash match that highlighted the former United States champion and kept him and his Aussie bad-boy partner together. Nothing more, nothing less.
Result
Theory defeated Grimes
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Lashley revealed that he isn't working with the Street Profits any longer, which feels rushed, kind of like the entire story to this point.
- Cameron Grimes is way too talented to be booked as an afterthought.
- The Theory/Waller team is so much better than it has any right to be for two guys thrown together out of creative bankruptcy.
United States Championship Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Santos Escobar
4 of 7
Santos Escobar challenged Rey Mysterio for the United States Championship in a battle between protege and mentor that saw the elder get the best of his younger, faster opponent.
Mysterio countered a gorilla press by Escobar into a rollup and scored the win. A hesitation by Escobar to answer his idol's sign of respect was an interesting development that teased dissension between them and a potential return to heeldom for the second-generation star.
A post-match beatdown by The Street Profits drew the approval of Bobby Lashley in the latest rushed chapter of this story. What we have seen tonight is legitimately two or three weeks' worth of creative rolled into two quick segments.
For the issues with the pacing of the Lashley/Street Profits stuff, this was an effective way to bring together two ongoing storylines and spotlight those involved. Now, Mysterio and Escobar will have to put aside hard feelings to combat a more dangerous Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins.
A good, strong title match helped elevate the quality of this entire ordeal.
Result
Mysterio defeated Escobar to retain
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa continued their path of rage backstage as they attacked random Superstars.
- John Cena was shown arriving at the arena, unnecessarily speeding through to the parking garage. Just in time to have his rush for revenge cut off by the night's next match.
Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley
5 of 7
The battle for supremacy in the SmackDown women's division continued Friday as Charlotte Flair battled Bayley in a clash of two of the Four Horsewomen of NXT.
A competitive match while it lasted, it ended with Flair scoring a pinfall victory over The Role Model, infuriating the heel.
Bayley took exception to The Queen "jumping the line" for a title shot but before Damage CTRL could get the best of Flair, Asuka hit the ring to make the save, teasing another wacky, mismatched tag team between teammates that do not get along.
It is another storyline trope that WWE loves, and Flair being in title contention is typical, but the ring work was solid and the talent is strong enough to be intrigued by what is to come.
Result
Flair defeated Bayley
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Bayley's innate ability to talk trash to every opponent before, during, and after matches is pure artistry.
- Iyo Sky will defend the WWE Women's Championship against Flair and Asuka at Fastlane following this segment and if that match does not have you excited, what are you doing watching this show?
LA Knight Joins John Cena for Fastlane
6 of 7
After a show-long tease, John Cena hit the ring to wrap up the show and reiterated that he will fight The Bloodline's Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa in the main event of Fastlane by himself if he does not have a partner.
This brought out the heels, who took down Cena, only for LA Knight to make the save and accept the role of tag team partner for The Greatest of All Time at the premium live event.
Predictable, yes. Exactly the right booking decision? YEAH!
This is a big opportunity for Knight and the next logical step for him in his run to the top of the company. Not only does he get the rub from Cena, but he also begins the journey to an eventual showdown with Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
This was what we needed last week and it hit exactly right here.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The pop for Knight rivaled that of Cena and that is a great indicator of where he is at this point and how fans view him.
Overall Grade
7 of 7This was a solid episode of SmackDown that built nicely to Fastlane and highlighted the main event pitting John Cena and LA Knight against Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.
The moment with Knight at the end of the show was great, the revelation of the women's title match for premium live event was welcome, and the tease of tension between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar should make for intriguing television over the next month or so.
Fastlane may be an afterthought of a show but the card is looking solid from a quality standpoint.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
