While Raw have their PPV, Roadblock: End of the Line to worry about this Sunday, Smackdown Live’s next PPV isn’t until January 29th, when the Royal Rumble 2017 takes place as a dual-brand PPV.
This meant that this week’s edition wasn’t in a rush to further storylines, but focused instead on laying the groundwork for the next few episodes. However, the matches on this week’s show were still significant, and that led to some good television.
Smackdown’s tag teams clashed in a battle royal to determine the number one contenders for the Wyatts’ gold. Alexa Bliss defended her SD Women’s championship in a rematch from TLC, but an ‘injury’ to Bliss’ leg left Lynch with only a count-out win.
With James Ellsworth’s title shot cancelled due to him being ‘ill’, a splendid fatal-four way took place instead to determine the number one contender for AJ Styles’ WWE championship.
Overall, another strong episode of Smackdown Live, but which segments stole the show? Let’s find out, as I Analyse and Grade each segment from the December 13th edition of Smackdown Live.
#1 Miz TV with AJ Styles:
Grade: 8/10
This was a strong segment to open the show, and it was a nice way of setting up the main event for later on.
The Miz and AJ mocking Ellsworth was great, as was their brief heel camaraderie. Their tension was even better, however, with the two clashing about who was the better champion, showcasing how good a future feud could be between the two men.
A future babyface AJ vs heel Miz rivalry for the WWE championship would be welcome, and the matches would be splendid.
Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper getting involved was fun and chaotic, it further led to the announcement of the fatal-four-way match.
Ambrose hitting both Miz and Ziggler with Dirty Deeds was a nice touch, as he was portrayed as the no-nonsense, determined lunatic, attacking whoever (face or heel) got in his way.
It was great to see Harper involved in a high-profile position like this, and he wisely stood tall to close the segment. This was also a wise use of Ziggler, who had been directionless after his loss to Miz at TLC.
Overall, a solid segment that efficiently set up the fatal-four way to replace the cancelled James Ellsworth vs AJ Styles WWE championship match.
Note: John Cena’s return was advertised for the December 27th edition of SD Live. It will be great to see him return, he has been sorely missed by the blue brand.
Check out the segment here:
#2 Natalya vs Carmella:
Result: Carmella pins Natalya with a roll-up after a confrontation between Natalya and Nikki Bella.
Grade: 6/10
It is good to see a secondary women’s feud outside the title picture (unlike on Raw), but this story has lacked logic. Natalya, for some reason, continues to be portrayed as an innocent, loyal friend to Nikki Bella, despite being a heel for the last few months.
Bella (who was guest commentator) said that Natalya would never attack her from behind, even though a few months ago she did exactly that to Becky Lynch at Money in the Bank. Carmella’s role in all of this is confusing as well, and it has led to a muddled story.
As for the match itself, it was weak. Carmella spent most of the bout running away from the determined “babyface” Natalya, and a quick roll up win due to a Natalya confrontation with Bella did little for Carmella. At least Smackdown Live is trying to establish a secondary women’s division feud unlike Raw, but the story so far has been a mess.
Still, this story looks to be slowly building, so hopefully it develops into something better in the coming weeks. Overall, a weak match with a somewhat confusing story so far, but at least there is some effort in providing women outside the title picture with a rivalry.
#3 Tag Team Battle Royal (Winners become No. 1 Contenders):
Result: Zack Ryder wins for the Hype Bros after eliminating Konnor of The Ascension.
Grade: 7.5/10
Battle royals are always fun, and this was no different. While this did drag on a little long, it did well to showcase a number of teams and individuals, with Konnor, Jason Jordan and Heath Slater each having their time to shine.
Further seeds were planted for a breakup between Rhyno and Slater with Slater’s accidental elimination of his partner, and they look set to go their separate ways. While some may say that American Alpha should’ve won here, it seems that WWE are saving the eventual Alpha/Wyatts clash to happen closer the Rumble.
Ryder’s comeback win was great, and for now, the Hype Bros should be decent challengers for the Wyatts. They will give Orton and Wyatt another team to dominate for the next couple of weeks, and placing them against the Wyatts may finally give the energetic duo some much-needed direction.
The action in this match wasn’t great, but it was still a solid way to determine number one contenders. Overall, a fun battle royal that highlighted a number of teams, while giving the Hype Bros a big win and an opportunity at the Wyatts in the coming weeks.
#4 Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch (Women’s Championship):
Result: Becky Lynch wins by countout, but Alexa Bliss retains her championship.
Grade: 8/10
This was a solid rematch from TLC, and it continued the slow build of the Bliss/Lynch story with a smart finish.
Bliss’ heel promo and attack on Purrazzo (her initial opponent) was brilliant, and Bliss is prospering as top women’s heel on SD Live with her splendid heel work. Lynch is great as well, as the hungry, determined babyface challenger, and this spontaneous title match helped excite the live crowd.
While the bout was short, it was solid for what it was and the finish was very well-done. Bliss feigning an injury to escape a title defence was excellent, and only further spurs Lynch’s chase to redemption.
If Bliss continues to be the sneaky, vicious heel while Lynch is the revenge-seeking, gritty babyface, then this story will only get better as time goes on. Overall, a solid match, and a brilliant way to continue the slow build of Lynch chasing the championship.
#5 The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper vs Dean Ambrose (Elimination Fatal-4 Way, Winner is number one contender for WWE Championship):
Result: Dolph Ziggler pins Dean Ambrose after The Miz momentarily distracted the Lunatic Fringe.
Grade: 9/10
This was a splendid main event that benefited all four competitors, with each superstar gaining something from the matchup.
Luke Harper looked incredible here, dominating the other competitors for sections of the bout. He has always been extremely underrated, and hopefully, WWE took note of his performance in this matchup and will utilise him better going forward.
The Miz and Dean Ambrose’s issues look set to continue, with Ambrose eliminating Miz and then Miz gaining revenge by costing the Lunatic Fringe the match. Their upcoming feud will be great for both men and will give Miz a suitable opponent for his IC title in Ambrose rather than another mid-carder.
Dolph Ziggler picked up a huge win and gained some big momentum after having suffered yet another loss to the Miz at TLC. While he probably won’t win the title from Styles, it gives him something to work with instead of floundering after the loss.
They will certainly have an awesome match as well, given both men’s in-ring talent, and the build-up should be great even with it only serving as a mini-feud to take up time before the Royal Rumble.
It was also refreshing to see no Ellsworth in a main event, as his interference had soured main events at TLC and on last week’s SD Live.
Overall, a stellar matchup that benefited everyone, with Miz and Ambrose’s issues continuing, and Ziggler and Styles set to clash in what should be an awesome match for the WWE championship in two weeks’ time.
Check out the match here:
Overall Grade for Smackdown Live December 13th: 8.5/10
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out the other articles on my profile, including 5 reasons WWE should turn Sasha Banks heel.
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