WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Sept. 19
One week after a dastardly attack on Vince McMahon that left the owner and operator of WWE bloodied, Kevin Owens would have to answer for his actions Tuesday night on SmackDown Live.
What awaited him, though, was the question.
Would Shane McMahon retaliate? Would Owens face any sort of repercussions or was his Hell in a Cell match with Shane-O-Mac on October 8 punishment enough?
Would he show even the slightest bit of remorse for the shocking attack?
Anyone paying attention to Owens and his exploits since 2015 should already know the answer to that last question.
Tuesday's broadcast was not solely The Kevin Owens Show.
AJ Styles defended his United States Championship against Baron Corbin in a match building for the last month. In Oakland, would The Phenomenal One knock off The Lone Wolf or would Corbin claim his first singles title on the main roster?
With Jinder Mahal slated to address the comments he made about Shinsuke Nakamura last week and Natalya promising a "Celebration of Women," the September 19 episode of SmackDown Live promised to continue the steady build to the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
What went down, which Superstars stood out and how might their successes or failures affect the weeks and months to come on the blue brand?
Shane McMahon Returns
1 of 9Shane McMahon was somber as he took to the ring for the first time since Kevin Owens' shocking assault on his father, Vince, last week.
He condemned Owens to a ruthless beating at Hell in a Cell, courtesy of his own hands.
The short, sweet promo ended with a stern, serious SmackDown Live commissioner walking to the back as commentators Tom Phillips, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton put over the October 8 match between the budding rivals.
Grade
A
Analysis
There was no dancing, no jumping around like an eight-year-old on Mountain Dew. Shane McMahon was serious and focused, as he needed to be. A typically energetic McMahon would have killed the tone established by the closing segment of last week's show.
By condemning Owens to Hell in a Cell, McMahon portrayed a ruthless, unforgiving man seeking to channel his aggressive father, the same father he watched beaten down last week, and kick The Prizefighter's ass inside the most dangerous structure in sports entertainment.
Randy Orton vs. Aiden English
2 of 9The melodious, operatic Aiden English serenaded the audience Tuesday night with a song that mocked Randy Orton. That is, until The Viper's entrance theme exploded over the PA system and the third-generation star made his way to the squared circle for the night's first match.
English got a jump on Orton, pounding him in the corner and drawing a chorus of boos as he did so.
A big clothesline from The Viper ignited a flurry of offense that included a snap powerslam and a side suplex across the ringside guardrail. English slipped out of a second suplex attempt and returned the favor, dropping Orton back-first on the announce table.
English continued to pick Orton apart during the commercial break, working him over with generic heel offense that included jabs, a face rake and a running back elbow in the corner. He trapped Orton in a side headlock and sang, adding insult to injury.
English never gave up control of the match but made the mistake of climbing the ropes and soaring through the air...where he was met with an RKO out of nowhere, which earned Orton the pinfall victory.
After the match, Rusev arrived on the scene, a microphone in hand.
The Bulgarian Brute conceded his 10-second loss to Orton at SummerSlam made him a national disgrace among wrestling fans. He vowed to avenge the loss on Tuesday night.
The bell rang, Rusev avoided the RKO and delivered a superkick that earned him a victory in mere seconds. He celebrated like he had just won the WWE title, overjoyed by vindication.
Result
Randy Orton defeated Aiden English
Rusev defeated Orton
Grade
C+
Analysis
There will be some who argue Orton should be commended for giving as much of the match to English as he did, but the sudden RKO and subsequent loss essentially erased everything English accomplished in the bout, rendering the entire ordeal rather meaningless.
The bit with Rusev was fun, especially the celebration that followed his "victory" over Orton. When he wants to, no one can ham it up better than the former United States champion.
The rivalry between him and The Viper is hardly engaging or compelling, but it will keep both busy at Hell in a Cell since neither has anything better to do.
Jinder Mahal Addresses Last Week's Comments
3 of 9
Samir and Sunil Singh introduced WWE champion Jinder Mahal to the fans in Oakland, drawing a large chorus of boos for the brand's top dog.
The Maharaja feigned apologizing for the mockery he made of Shinsuke Nakamura on last week's show, then proceeded to produce a single close-up of The Artist that he claimed represented all of his rival's emotions. He finished with an insulting stereotypical comment that drew loud boos, then chants of "Nakamura."
Suddenly, the rivalry took an unnecessary turn that even resulted in fans responding with, "that's too far."
Mahal spoke in Punjabi that undoubtedly ended with him vowing to retain the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell.
Grade
F
Analysis
There is no place for comments that border on racism the way Mahal's did Tuesday night.
They are unnecessary and, quite frankly, if that is the best WWE Creative can drum up for this rivalry, they may as well book the title match for next week's show and get the change out of its system now because the potential for a public relations nightmare is high.
This promo was not in good taste whatsoever and did nothing to make this writer want to see Nakamura kick Mahal's ass.
It made me want to change the channel.
United States Championship Match: AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin
4 of 9
AJ Styles hit the ring for his United States Championship defense against Baron Corbin but before the match could get started, The Phenomenal One addressed Kevin Owens' attack on Vince McMahon. He promised that The Prizefighter would not make it out of Hell in a Cell.
He turned his attention to "the shortcut king" Corbin. He rallied of his recent failures and vowed The Lone Wolf would fail one more time.
As the match began, Corbin pummeled Styles until Tye Dillinger hit the ring and pummeled the No. 1 contender. The Perfect 10 hammered away as Corbin sold a lower leg injury.
Unforgiving in his exploitation of the inury, the United States champion trapped Corbin in Calf Crusher.
The referee demanded Styles break the hold and the segment came to an abrupt ending with the champion standing tall.
Result
No Contest
Grade
B
Analysis
The seeds continue to be planted for a Triple Threat match pitting Styles against Corbin and Dillinger.
After months of misuse, it is nice to see Dillinger used in such a high-profile role. It made sense that he would want to avenge the attacks and interference from Corbin that twice cost him the United States title. He did, leaving Corbin angrier than ever.
How he unleashes that rage going forward bears watching.
Natalya Hosts a 'Celebration of Women'
5 of 9
Charlotte returned to SmackDown Live Tuesday night, providing fans with an update on her father, the legendary Ric Flair.
Before she could deliver some words of wisdom regarding the preciousness of life, SmackDown women's champion Natalya hit the ring for WWE's first-ever Celebration of Women.
She discussed the achievements women have made in WWE in recent years before focusing on one in particular: herself.
Natalya revealed a print of her championship victory from SummerSlam.
Unimpressed, Charlotte challenged her for the women's title. Becky Lynch interrupted the proceedings to a sizeable ovation. The Lass Kicker called Natalya the craziest there is, was and ever will be before taking exception to Charlotte's insistence that she should be the top contender.
Naomi was next up to interrupt the proceedings, throwing her name in the hunt for the title.
Tamina, accompanied by Lana, interjected in the proceedings. Lana referred to Nattie as a "crazy cat lady" and told her to shut up.
Natalya claimed she would be the women's champion forever and seriously took offense to The Ravishing Russian's namecalling.
Daniel Bryan arrived on the scene and booked a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the No. 1 contender to The Queen of Harts' championship at Hell in a Cell.
Grade
B
Analysis
There were probably better, less convoluted ways to accomplish the booking of the Fatal 4-Way match, but this shined a light on the women's division and set up a high-profile main event.
That is exactly what it needed in its current state, where the only story in play is Carmella's potential cash-in.
Of course, the idea Naomi somehow has an argument for a title opportunity after losing two straight losses to Nattie is a flawed one to say the least, but that is nitpicking at this point.
The New Day vs. The Hype Bros
6 of 9
On the same day it was announced by Dasha Fuentes on WWE's official Twitter account The New Day will defend the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The Usos at Hell in a Cell, the new titleholders battled The Hype Bros, Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley, in a non-title match.
The champions dominated the action early, forcing their opponents to regroup at ringside.
Ryder and Rawley seized control early and did not relinquish until late, when Kingston dodged a charging Mojo and delivered a dive that wiped him out at ringside.
The Midnight Hour to Ryder earned the champions the pinfall victory in impressive fashion.
The champions exchanged words with The Usos, who sat in on commentary for the match.
Result
The New Day defeated The Hype Bros
Grade
C+
Analysis
It is somewhat disappointing not to see any further development in Ryder's growing frustration with Rawley, but this was more about spotlighting the champions and setting the stage for one last war between them and The Usos at Hell in a Cell.
Kofi Kingston and Big E looked solid as they went over their fellow babyfaces in a match that was a glorified enhancement bout.
Whether WWE Creative has anywhere to go with these two teams that can possibly keep the feud interesting for the foreseeable future is the question.
Kevin Owens Via Satellite
7 of 9
Kevin Owens apologized for his actions a week ago before addressing Shane McMahon.
"You had it coming," he said before justifying his actions by blaming the commissioner for angering him to the point that he attacked chairman Vince McMahon on last week's show.
He vowed to punish Shane on October 8 and when he does, he will not go to hell. Instead, he will go to heaven.
Grade
A
Analysis
Owens' character has made a career of blaming others for his actions. Whether it was Sami Zayn, John Cena, Chris Jericho or Shane McMahon, it has always been those Superstars' faults for the vile and disgusting actions Owens took in relation to them.
This promo was in-line with Owens' on-screen persona and ensured The Prizefighter will never take responsibility for the heinous actions he has repeatedly unleashed on the WWE Universe.
While his apology at the top of the promo was disingenuous, the viewer walks away from the segment believing Owens meant every word he said about obliterating Shane at Hell in a Cell.
That is the sign of an effective promo.
Dolph Ziggler's Frustration Mounts
8 of 9
Dolph Ziggler arrived for his weekly promo.
He called himself the greatest performer in WWE history and then chastised the audience for still not getting "it," whatever "it" is.
He mocked Triple H's entrance, arriving in a leather jacket and sipping water before asking the fans in Oakland if it was cool. "Can I run NXT now?" he asked mockingly.
Next up was Shawn Michaels, the Superstar most often referenced when discussing Ziggler. The Showoff sported a cowboy hat and wore chaps. He said, "I could almost feel myself losing my smile," in a knock on HBK.
D-Generation X followed as Ziggler continued his assault on all things Kliq.
"I've got two words for you: Who cares?" He said before railing against Triple H and Michaels, referring to them as dads coasting on their reputations right into retirement.
Ziggler ended his promo by criticizing fans for not caring.
Grade
B
Analysis
This was the best of these Ziggler segments in that it felt like The Showoff was expressing real anger and frustration in regards to two of the most influential Superstars of the last 20 years.
There was no value in Ziggler making fun of Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior because, other than potentially inspiring him as a performer, they had no direct effect on his career.
The same cannot be said of Michaels and Triple H, who sent him packing back to Ohio Valley Wrestling back in 2006 and stuck around long enough to keep The Showoff within arm's reach in the pecking order.
This worked more than any of those segments for that reason alone.
Here is hoping there is an endgame in place. If not, all of Ziggler's work is for naught.
No. 1 Contender's Match: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte vs. Naomi vs. Tamina
9 of 9
The top four contenders to Natalya's SmackDown Women's Champion hit the ring for the night's main event Fatal 4-Way match to determine who would get the title opportunity at Hell in a Cell.
Tamina unloaded on her opponents, showing the ruthless aggression that won her acclaim in both Money in the Bank ladder matches from earlier this summer.
Back from the break and Naomi delivered a big jawbreaker that nearly put Charlotte down for the count. A rollup scored another near-fall. Becky Lynch made the save, applying the Disarmer to Naomi, but Tamina made the save.
A big spear by Charlotte to Tamina had her rolling and after taking Naomi down, she climbed to the top rope, where she executed a huge moonsault to the former Team B.A.D. allies.
Charlotte applied the Figure Four to Naomi, but Lynch came off the top with a flying leg drop.
After a brief reset, Tamina planted Lynch with a Samoan Drop and climbed the ropes. The Superfly Splash nearly scored her the victory, but Naomi made the save at the last possible second.
A big boot from Charlotte finished a distracted Tamina and earned the second-generation star the victory.
Result
Charlotte defeated Becky Lynch, Naomi and Tamina
Grade
C
Analysis
This felt all kinds of rushed, as if the four Superstars involved tried to jam-pack too many spots into too short a span.
The story was nonexistent, and none of the four were really given time to excel or even shine.
Tamina was great in spots, but Naomi's weaknesses are exposed when matches are rushed. And there was nowhere near enough Lynch.
A disappointment of sorts, it at least produced the right result as Charlotte returns to the title picture and sets up for a showdown with Natalya that could steal the show come October 8.
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