WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Oct. 20
Logan Paul returned to WWE Friday night on SmackDown and went face-to-face with United States Champion Rey Mysterio, his focus on winning his first championship in a professional wrestling ring.
What did the social media megastar have to say to the Hall of Famer when they met inside the squared circle?
Find out with this recap of an October 20 broadcast that also featured Iyo Sky defending her WWE Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair and the latest in LA Knight's journey to Crown Jewel.
Match Card
1 of 8Announced in advance of Friday's show were:
- An appearance from John Cena
- WWE Women's Championship Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Iyo Sky (c)
- Santos Escobar vs. Montez Ford
- United States champion Rey Mysterio face-to-face with Logan Paul
LA Knight and Paul Heyman Start SmackDown
2 of 8
Paul Heyman kicked off the night's broadcast, issuing idle threats to LA Knight ahead of the Crown Jewel main event, announced earlier this afternoon to be LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Univeral Championship.
The Megastar hit the ring and issued a warning of his own, telling Heyman that he and The Tribal Chief best not miss if they decide to take a shot at him.
It was a simple promo segment but one that further solidified Knight as the top babyface on the show but more importantly, someone growing into that role with every passing week. He held his own here, captivating the fans. He controlled their reactions, generated the reaction he was looking for, and helped sell a main event against The Head of the Table that was already hotly anticipated.
A great way to start the show and further evidence that Knight was made for this spot.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "If you're a fan of LA Knight like I am, you must watch Crown Jewel on November 4 because it's the last time you're ever going to see LA Knight in the middle of the ring," Heyman promised.
- The pop for Knight, the way he stomps to the ring, and the command he has over any segment he is in at this point are the elements of a top Superstar in WWE. He is the babyface on SmackDown right now.
- "I'll pull a Michael Myers on ya. I'll keep coming back. I can't stop, won't stop," Knight vowed, suggesting Reigns stop issuing warning shots.
Santos Escobar vs. Montez Ford
3 of 8
The Street Profits' Montez Ford defeated Santos Escobar Friday night, capitalizing on a ringside brawl between Angelo Dawkins and the LWO's Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde to score a screwy rollup.
A vengeful Carlito made the save to prevent further damage to Escobar during a post-match beatdown, but the biggest story is about who was not at ringside for the match.
United States Champion Rey Mysterio was conspicuous in his absence, not around to support Escobar as he prepared for his face-to-face with Logan Paul. It was something that Michael Cole pointed out without lingering on, begging the question: how long until Escobar takes exception to Mysterio not backing him up?
During a backstage vignette, Mysterio thanked Carlito for having the LWO's back and to say the look on Escobar's face was one of dismay and disbelief would be an understatement.
Do not be surprised to see the second-generation star betray the Hall of Famer, perhaps as soon as Mysterio's inevitable defense of the US title against Paul.
Result
Ford defeated Escobar
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Michael Cole made a point to acknowledge that Rey Mysterio was not by Escobar's side, suggesting the bigger story at play here is still the eventual breakup between mentor and protege.
- Dawkins sent Escobar into the ring post, instigating a brawl that provided a distraction, allowing Ford to score the tainted rollup win.
- Carlito drew a nice reaction from the fans and cleared the heels out of the ring.
- Backstage, Jimmy Uso joined Heyman and Solo Sikoa and took credit for brother Jey and Cody Rhodes losing the tag team titles Monday on Raw.
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John Cena Promo
4 of 8
John Cena hit the ring next and admitted that it has been a long damn time since he won a singles match. He teased retirement but shook it off, recognizing he still has plenty left to give.
Solo Sikoa interrupted and Jimmy Uso followed, setting up a two-on-one beatdown on The Greatest of All Time. That is until Jey Uso bucked the system and made the save before being hauled out of the arena by security.
Cena got the best of Sikoa, dropping him with an Attitude Adjustment and apparently setting himself up for a singles showdown with The Enforcer. At the least, a tag team match with Jey against Sikoa and Jimmy.
It seems rather curious that Cena would look for his first win in 2,002 days against a guy in Sikoa who very rarely loses, but you don't get to be the GOAT by backing down.
Or something like that.
At least a match of that magnitude should bolster the Crown Jewel card.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "It's been exactly 2,002 days since I last won a televised singles match. My last win was in 2018," a somber Cena admitted. Holy hell.
- Cena, believing he's still got it, issued a challenge to "the next idiot" who came through the curtain. Enter, Sikoa.
- Jey Uso attacked Jimmy, leaving him lying because damn that brand extension!
Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul Face-to-Face
5 of 8
Logan Paul returned to WWE and made his desire to hold the United States Championship apparent, laying down the gauntlet to Rey Mysterio after accurately reminding the Hall of Famer that he beat him two years earlier in a WrestleMania tag match.
Mysterio's motivation to accept the challenge was simple: humble Paul.
In many ways, "simple" was the theme of the segment, for the better.
WWE could have gotten cutesy with its booking but instead, Triple H and Co. let the established history between the two provide the foundation for bringing them together, then added the humbling explanation to create an easy, simple background for the showdown.
Mysterio has something Paul wants. Paul already beat him once.
It is a simple story that writes itself. Hardly a bad thing in an industry that sometimes gets too overly complicated.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "The last time I beat Rey Mysterio, Dominik was still his son. The last time I beat Rey Mysterio, Roman Reigns actually showed up to wrestle. The last time I beat Rey Mysterio, LA Knight didn't have a job!"
- Recalling the WrestleMania 38 tag match, Paul's first in WWE is a great way to necessitate the match without getting too fancy regarding its booking.
Cameron Grimes and Dragon Lee vs. Grayson Waller and Austin Theory
6 of 8
Two weeks after Cameron Grimes provided an assist that led to Dragon Lee defeating Austin Theory, the NXT exports battled Theory and Grayson Waller in tag team action Friday night.
They did not experience the same success as Theory and Waller scored the hard-fought win.
The match was one of the longer ones on a talk-heavy episode and continued to establish the heels as workhorses on Friday nights. Their in-ring chemistry is undeniable and their partnership has been one of the more fun developments on SmackDown.
Grimes and Lee meshed well, too, despite never tagging before.
There is an argument to be made that the babyfaces needed the win more but Theory and Waller have been beaten up a bit in recent weeks and giving them a win here, against a team still finding its footing after re-emerging under Triple H's creative direction, is a harmless booking decision.
That is, as long as Grimes and Lee do not fade into the background from here.
Result
Theory and Waller defeated Lee and Grimes
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Cole took care of Lee on commentary, informing fans that Rey Mysterio once referred to him as the face of Lucha Libre's future. That is the sort of little thing that helps establish him in the eyes of fans watching at home who may not be familiar with him.
- After the match, the commentary team revealed that Roman Reigns and LA Knight will sign the contract for Crown Jewel next Friday night on SmackDown, live on FS1.
WWE Women's Championship Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Iyo Sky
7 of 8
Iyo Sky successfully retained her WWE Women's Championship, defeating Charlotte Flair in the main event of SmackDown, but not without controversy.
Bayley once again made her presence felt in the title bout, this time narrowly saving Sky from defeat by placing her foot on the bottom rope. Flair gained a measure of revenge by obliterating her at ringside, but the heel champion utilized the championship to lay out The Queen and secure the tainted victory.
The shocking return of Bianca Belair moments later led to the babyfaces standing tall to close out the show, the women's title suddenly packed with the re-emergence of The EST.
It would seem to suggest that Belair, Flair and Sky are headed toward a Triple Threat Match for the title but to be honest, we have seen too many three-way dances of late in relation to the blue brand title and the last thing we need is to see another at Crown Jewel.
Let Belair have the title shot against Sky, have Flair around the squared circle to neutralize Bayley, and go from there. Or, and this is a wild idea, book a match between Flair and Bayley and one between Belair and Sky, just to prove that not all women's matches have to have a title at the center of them.
Whatever the case, Belair's return was red-hot and put a nice exclamation point on the broadcast.
Result
Sky defeated Flair to retain
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Bayley maintaining her disdain for Michael Cole is the best long-term booking in the company, Bloodline be damned. Give us Bayley vs. Cole in Philly. It's the WrestleMania 40 main event we deserve.
- Flair has to be a little more discreet with her calling of spots. It's been way too obvious in recent weeks, including a very audible "down, up" down the stretch Friday night.
- With that said, Flair made up for it with a visible "what the..." after Sky kicked out of an avalanche fallaway slam. It is so much more believable and effective than the tired jaw-drop facial expression most favor.
- Flair got her feet up to counter a moonsault, then delivered a spear, but Bayley put Sky's foot on the bottom rope. It was a hell of a sequence that was executed well given the speed at which it unfolded.
- The pop, the run-in, and the intensity shown by Belair prove she is that woman. A top star who has earned everything she has gotten in WWE.
Overall Grade
8 of 8Even a show that looked like a placeholder of sorts on paper ended up being rather newsworthy, especially with the return of Belair and the announcement of Paul vs. Mysterio for what is quickly becoming an impressive Crown Jewel card.
We also had the groundwork for Cena vs. Sikoa, another standout showing for LA Knight, and the latest in the mounting frustrations Escobar is experiencing at the hands of Mysterio.
The show is delivering some solid stories and appears to have direction again, especially with two big events coming up in short order. Each segment has urgency to it and the result is a better, faster-paced show.
Grade: B+
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